


Clue

by Shadowclanwarrior



Category: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Super Paper Mario (Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Clue Parody, F/M, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6481720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowclanwarrior/pseuds/Shadowclanwarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After receiving a mysterious invitation, six guests arrive at a large, urban castle, having no idea why they are there. But once the truth is learned, someone gets murdered, and no one knows who did it! As they try to find the killer before the police arrive, things become more and more dangerous, as they discover that there is more to the castle than what meets the eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Non Suspicious Castle

Thunder crackles through the clouds as rain pours down from the night sky. In the middle of the countryside, there stands a large black castle. It looks deserted, it being isolated from the rest of the world in its own dark and malevolent domain. A lone black car drives towards it, the windshield wipers going as fast as the speed of life to keep the rain from blinding the driver. It parks in the driveway, and a lone man steps out.

He is tall wearing an unusual purple, yellow, and black jester's outfit with a matching jester's hat. He wears a mask to cover his entire face, half black and half white, making his mismatched gray and yellow eyes stand out. The jester takes out his umbrella to keep the rain off of him and looks up at the castle. A large smile appears across his masked face, for this is a night he will remember for the rest of his life.

He slowly goes up to the castle's front porch, and in the corner of his eye he sees two of the castle's guard chain chops fast asleep. Getting his keys, he steps up to the front door.

...And steps into something wet and squishy. The jester stops in his tracks and sniffs the air. He groans.

_Chain chop dung… How does that even work? They're balls on chains with dog characteristics!_

Well, they do eat…

Getting that thought out of his head, he unlocks the door and steps into the castle. Just like the outside, it is pure black with white outlines with many windows and mirrors. A large staircase rises up to the other levels, beside it a door leading to the cellar. Walking down a bit, the jester opens one of the nearby doors and enters a small library. There, with loud music playing, a young maid with long green pigtails is pouring some champagne. She looks up and sees the jester approaching her.

"Dimentio," she says, acknowledging his presence.

Dimentio smiles. "Is everything prepared, Mimi? The guests will be here any minute."

Mimi nods her head. "I've got everything ready, just like you wanted."

"Good," Dimentio says. "Then you know what to do once the guests arrive?"

Again, Mimi nods.

With a mischievous smile, Dimentio leans over the table and puts his face very close to Mimi's. Mimi looks up at him, trying to hide a blush.

"Thank you, my dear."

Giving her a small kiss on the lips, Dimentio leaves the library. Going down to the last room at the end of the hallway, he heads off to the kitchen. There, a woman with her icy blue hair tied up in a large bun, starts chopping up some beef. Dimentio walks up behind her.

"Dyliss, when will-"

He stops in mid sentence as Dyliss turns around and aims her knife at his heart.

"Dinner will be done at seven," Dyliss answers with no emotion.

Dimentio gives an uncomfortable chuckle, backing away slowly.

"Ah ha, I see. Well, keep up the good job!"

_Crazy bitch._

Suddenly, Dimentio hears the doorbell ring. Giving off a large grin, he quickly leaves the kitchen and goes to the door. He answers it to see a bob-omb wearing an old captain's hat and has tough yellow eyes.

"Ah, welcome to Castle Bleck," Dimentio says. "Admiral Bobbery, I presume?"

Bobbery blinks.

"Err…how did you know who I am?" he asks in a rough voice.

Dimentio laughs.

"Oh, I know who all of the guests are. Now, please come in and get out of the rain."

Dimentio walks to the side and Bobbery steps inside. He takes a sniff of the air.

"What smells like-"

"Don't ask," Dimentio says cutting him off. "Now, please follow me to the library."

Without another word, Dimentio and Bobbery go to the library.

"Mimi will take care of your needs till the rest of the guests arrive," Dimentio says. "Which I'm sure won't be too long."

"Though, if I may ask, uh…weird jester boy-"

"Dimentio, my name is Dimentio."

Bobbery nods.

"Yes. Can you tell me why I'm-"

"Ah, _that_ will all be explained once the others have arrived!" Dimentio exclaims, cutting off Bobbery once again.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

"And that must be another guest!"

Gleefully, Dimentio walks to the door. Once open, a beautiful, gloomy looking woman with thick glasses and tied up pink hair stands. She has a thick black coat, shivering a bit from the cold and rain. Dimentio smiles.

"Greetings, Nastasia. I trust the trip wasn't too long?"

Nastasia narrows her eyes.

"It was tiring, I will say," she says. "In all honestly, I hope that this party doesn't take long."

Dimentio chuckles, helping Nastasia take off her coat, which reveals her to be wearing a long black dress to match her dreary look.

"Ah, well if all goes according to plan, it will only be an hour," Dimentio says. "But, I'm sure you will enjoy yourself."

"Yeah, sure, dark jester guy."

"Dimentio."

"Dementio, sorry."

Dimentio sighs heavily and clears his throat.

"Well, you are only the second guest to arrive out of seven. Just head to the library for now and make yourself comfortable."

Nastasia nods in reply and heads to the room Dimentio pointed to. Once she is gone, the doorbell rings again. Sighing, Dimentio opens the door and a tall man with a thick brown mustache and green hat stands, his clothes completely soaked from the rain. He looks slightly confused, startled even.

"Are you alright?" Dimentio asks.

The man in green turns his blue eyes to Dimentio.

"Uh…I'm not sure. Is this Castle Bleck? I'm supposed to come to some sort of dinner party and I got lost on the way here…"

Dimentio smiles.

"You are in the right place, Luigi. We have been expecting you."

Luigi stiffens at the mention of his name.

"I, uh, thanks, uh...clown butler?"

He looks even more confused at Dimentio's outfit. Dimentio's mouth twitches.

"My name is Dimentio. Just…head to the library where the others are waiting."

Luigi gives an uncomfortable laugh.

"Oh. Sorry."

He then hurries past Dimentio and heads to the library. Dimentio smiles a bit at his reaction.

Just then, he hears a car pull in. He waits, as two people step out. One is a short man wearing a red hat with a grand brown mustache, the other being a woman resembling a mouse with big red high heels and seductive eyes.

"Ah, I didn't know you two were already acquainted, Mario and Ms. Mowz," Dimentio comments as the two hurry up the porch.

Ms. Mowz rolls her eyes.

"Oh, we aren't," she explains. "My car broke down on the way here and he just happened to pick me up."

She looks up at Mario.

"We have no relationship what so ever, random jester guy."

Flicking her tail, Ms. Mowz moves past Dimentio and walks to the library, where she hears the others. Mario chuckles uneasily.

"Man…she is different."

He turns to Dimentio.

"So, what is-"

"Everything will be explained soon enough, Mario," Dimentio says. "Just head for the library for now. Oh, and my name is Dimentio, in case you were wondering."

Mario gives a puzzled look, but ultimately shrugs his shoulders and walks off to join the others. At that moment, another car pulls up into the driveway, with another person coming out. That person is a woman with long blonde hair wearing an expensive white dress and diamond jewelry. She steps up to Dimentio and smiles.

"Hello there," she says cheerfully. "Is this Castle Bleck?"

Dimentio nods.

"It is, Lady Timpani. Come in."

"Thank you, sir. And what is your name?"

Dimentio smiles.

"I am Dimentio, the jester."

"Pleased to meet you."

Timpani then wonders to where the others are, seeing them through the reflection from one of the mirrors. Once she is gone, Dimentio turns to the outside, as if he is looking for some else. Looking over towards the clock, he sees that it is seven.

_Dinner is ready._

Giving one last look, Dimentio then closes the door and heads back to the library. There, all the guests are chatting away, each holding a glass of champagne as Mimi serves it to them. Dimentio clears his throat, making sure the other guests have his attention.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," he says. "I'm sure you will find this night all worthwhile. Now, even though we have one person missing, we have dinner all ready so we will go ahead and start."

"And so will we finally-"

"Yes, admiral, we will get to that in a second," Dimentio counters. "We will get to that… Now, everyone please follow me to the dining room. You can take your champagne in if you like."

In a sudden uneasy silence, the guests, Dimentio, and Mimi go to the dining room. Mimi goes through the door that leads to the kitchen, while Dimentio gestures to the guests their seats. Nastasia, Mario, and Timpani sits on one side while Ms. Mowz, Bobbery, and Luigi sits on the other side. On the end, one seat remains empty.

"Oh, is that where our host, Bowser, will sit?" Timpani asks.

"Your host?" Dimentio chuckles. "Oh no, Bowser is just simply the last guest."

"'Last guest?'" Luigi's face pales. "But I thought _he_ was our host!"

"His name is on the invitation," Ms. Mowz adds, "so why wouldn't he be our host? Dimentio, what are you trying to pull?"

Dimentio laughs.

"Oh, all will be explained in time. Now, I believe your appetizer is ready. Mimi?"

At the sound of her name, Mimi appears out of the door, carrying a tray of soup. She goes around the table and sets each bowl in front of the guests. Mario smiles when Mimi puts his bowl in front of him, but she gives no response. Once all the bowls are set, she disappears back into the kitchen. Dimentio follows her as well, leaving all the guests alone.

In an awkward silence, they all start to eat their soup. With the mostly silent room, aside from the slurping, Timpani sighs and places her spoon down.

"Well, we are going to get nowhere if we stay silent! I mean, I'm use to awkward moments like this, being the wife of a count. Though, this is an unusual party."

Out of her purse, Timpani takes out an invitation.

"I don't know if it is the same for the rest of you," she says. "But, I have no idea why I'm here or who our host is personally. I was just simply instructed to come here."

"…So I'm not the only one?" Bobbery replies. "For it is the same for my situation."

"Same thing for me," Mario adds.

"Me too!"

"Yeah, same."

"It never mentioned a purpose for this party. Though I'm use to getting mysterious notes."

Timpani gives a puzzled look.

"That is sure strange… But there has got to be a reason! Maybe we all have something in common."

"Like what?" Nastasia questions, narrowing her eyes.

"Well," Timpani explains. "Appearances can be deceiving. Like, I'm the wife of the rich count, Count Blumiere."

Bobbery's eyes widened.

" _You_ are Blumiere's wife?!"

Timpani nods.

"I've worked with the man in the military!" Bobbery exclaims. "He was a generous sponsor of the navy back in the war."

"Really?" Timpani says. "Well, that's one thing that connects us."

"I may not know Count Blumiere personally like you two do," Luigi says. "But I'm a plumber and I have worked in some of the houses of the rich counts. And…I've seen you and Blumiere around, Timpani."

"I'm on the same boat with Luigi," Mario adds. "I'm a plumber as well, though my services are very expensive, so I mainly work for the counts."

"Ah, that is interesting," Timpani states, deep in thought. "So I assume you three live in the capitol?"

Luigi and Mario nod in reply.

"I don't technically live in the capitol," Bobbery says, "but I live very close by and I go into the city very often."

"Though speaking of the capitol and the counts…"

Mario turns to Nastasia.

"I believe I've seen you before, with some of the counts," he says, studying Nastasia's face. "Is your husband one of them?"

Nastasia takes a sip of her soup, not making eye contact.

"…You could say that," she finally answers.

"Okay, so we all live near capitol and have some relationship to the rich counts…"

Timpani turns to the only person who has yet to speak, Ms. Mowz.

"So, Ms. Mowz, do you live in the capitol and know any of the counts?" Mario asks.

Ms. Mowz smirks.

"Ah, I do live in the capitol. I run a hotel and a…business. Most of my clients are rich counts."

There was a small silence as everyone looks at each other in the eye, nervous thoughts going through their minds. At that moment, Dimentio and Mimi reappear and take up the soup bowls and put a huge steak dinner in their place.

"I hope you enjoyed your soup," Dimentio says once they all have been served. "I trust you will find the main course just as good."

"Yes…I'm sure it is…"

Bobbery looks at Dimentio in the eye.

"But you have yet told us why we are here." Dimentio laughs. "Ah ha ha, I'm afraid I can't do that. I told you, not all of the guests have arrived."

"And that's just it!"

Bobbery stands up, his eyes flaring.

"We know nothing about this place!" he exclaims. "We don't know who our host is, and you refuse to give us answers! And not to mention we all have _one_ eerie thing in common, I demand-"

Before Bobbery can finish his sentence, the front door slams open. Everyone stops all movement, the guests' eyes all wide with fear. Dimentio stiffens a bit, but his smile remains. Coming down the hallway, loud footsteps can be heard coming towards the dining room. A large dragon like creature appears, having a green turtle shell and spikes coming out of it. His eyes dart to all of the guests and then he looks over at Dimentio.

Dimentio smiles. "Ah, welcome Bowser. Please, take your seat."


	2. Busted!

"Oh great," Bowser says like he just now realized that everyone is staring at him. "That party thingy was _today_?"

He turns his attention to Dimentio.

"Why didn't you tell me they were coming, you stupid gay clown?!" Bowser demands.

Dimentio gives a small laugh.

"I did. You just simply forgot, like an absent minded child."

"Are you telling me that I'm dumb?"

"No. I'm just stating that you have a short attention span and is as reliable as a puppy."

"…Oh, okay."

Without further argument, Bowser takes his seat. Timpani and Luigi, who are seated right next to him, flinch and scoot as far away from him as possible. But Bowser does not seem to care as Mimi comes in and brings him his dinner. But before she places it down, Bowser puts his large clawed hand on the plate and pushes it away.

"That's okay, green-maid-girl-who's-name-I-forgot, I've already ate. Like I said, I forgot that this was happening."

"Uh…okay."

Mimi quickly moves away and goes back to the kitchen. A flare of irritation burns in Dimentio's eyes but he continues to keep his cool.

"Well, is everyone finished eating?" he asks.

"Yes," all the guests except Bowser say in union.

Dimentio smiles. "Perfect! Now, everyone please make your way to the study so that we may discuss why you all are here."

" _Finally_!" Bobbery exclaims.

All the guests then stand up and leave to the study. Once in the large, brightly lit study, everyone takes a seat. On the couch facing the desk, Mario, Ms. Mowz, and Bobbery sit. Nastasia and Timpani sit in two nearby chairs and Bowser sits in the lone chair near the door. Luigi paces a bit, but he eventually finds a chair, his face incredibly pale. A minute later, Dimentio comes in. Everyone watches his every movement as he takes out a large envelope and sets it down on the desk.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Dimentio says. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have all come here because you have one thing in common. You all are being blackmailed."

There is a loud gasp.

"'Blackmail?'" Timpani exclaims, her face suddenly as pale as Luigi's. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm not being blackmailed!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you are, my dear," Dimentio says slyly, holding up the envelope. "I have the proof! Like the fact you aren't the perfect little wife that you want everyone to think. For you, let's just say to keep it short and sweet, have been using your power to your own…personal advantages in society."

Timpani starts to shake, everyone's eyes on her. She avoids eye contact with everyone, crossing her legs and arms in a very defensive position. Dimentio smiles.

"Yes. Truly tragic how the most innocents of souls can be corrupted with the littlest of power. And speaking of power…"

His mismatched gaze turns to Bobbery.

"You have your own little bit of corruption, don't you, admiral?" Dimentio says. "For you do live a very expensive lifestyle for a man who has spent all of his life in the navy. And the last time I checked, admirals don't have the greatest of lifestyles to own a huge countryside private mansion with so much land you could put a whole park in."

Bobbery avoids eye contact but says nothing.

"Ah, but a little corruption isn't too bad when it comes to having an affair," Dimentio continues. "Mario, care to explain for us?"

Mario's eyes widen.

"Well…I, uh…have met some nice girls while at work," he says softly. "Like Peach, Pauline, Vivian, oh, and Rosaline was very cute…"

"Ah ha!"

Ms. Mowz stands up from where she is sitting and stands in front of Mario.

"Oh wow, I would have never have guessed!" Ms. Mowz says with a hint of laughter. "I wouldn't expected it to be _you_ who all the counts are mad at when they say that their wives were cheating on them!"

"…And how would you know about that?" Bobbery questions.

Ms. Mowz smiles.

"Well, might as well tell before Dimentio here reveals me. You see, not only do a run a hotel, but if a man pays the right amount of money, they get to go to a _special_ room. With the escort of a lovely young lady."

Bobbery's eyes widen. "So you run a…"

"Oh, how disgusting!" Timpani cries out.

Ms. Mowz glares at her.

"Oh, like you are any better, Mrs. Corrupted!"

Timpani gives Ms. Mowz a dark glare but says nothing in reply, which just makes Ms. Mowz's smirk grow.

"So, Ms. Mowz, your hotel…what's the address?"

Ms. Mowz rolls her eyes at Mario's request.

Dimentio smiles. "Ah, well that made my job easier… Now, the next person."

There is a moment of silence, Dimentio's eyes drifting from person to person.

"Nastasia, your husband, one of the rich counts, died not too long ago, didn't he?"

Nastasia gives a blank look.

"…Yes."

"And how did he die?"

"…He was found dead in his bed. With his head cut off and his…uh… _you know_ …"

At the mention of that, Mario and Luigi cross their legs and Bobbery gives an uncomfortable look.

"But I didn't do it!" Nastasia cries out, her face flushing a bit. "He was a cruel and abusive who had many enemies! If he didn't die when he did, I don't know what would have happened to me!"

"But yet it is _he_ who is dead, Nastasia, not you!"

Nastasia glares at Dimentio.

"And that's why who ever _did_ kill him, they are in my debt."

She lets out a heavy sigh and folds her arms, everyone giving her disturbing looks. There is a short silence, until Luigi clears his throat.

"Okay, I'll just go ahead and say it before Dimentio humiliates me," he says softly. "While I'm at work, I sometimes get blackouts. And when I do, the owner of the house I'm working at always seems to get in a horrible accident and…sometimes killed."

His voice cracks as he speaks.

"I am innocent, but people are completely convinced that I have something to do with it. So, yes, I have been blackmailed to keep me out of the spotlight. However, I've become broke and I have no idea who is blackmailing me."

"Exactly," Dimentio adds. "Another thing you all have in common, you don't know who is blackmailing you. And for some of you, like Luigi, are getting desperate…"

"And do you know who this blackmailer is?" Nastasia questions.

"Wait…what about Bowser?" Mario asks. "If he isn't the host, like you said Dimentio, he must be being blackmailed too, isn't he?"

Bowser gives a large smirk.

"Oh, haven't you guessed yet?" Dimentio says, sounding innocent. "He's the only one with more advance knowledge of this 'party' because _he_ is the one blackmailing you."

Everyone gasps.

" _You bastard_!"

Bobbery stands up and approaches Bowser, Mario and Nastasia close behind him. Bowser just smirks.

"Yes, I've been the one blackmailing you all," he says with pure arrogance. "Though it really took you _this_ long to figure out?"

"Well...you never gave any clues, a name, or anything!" Mario exclaims.

Bowser laughs.

"Now, now, there is no reason to get violent. At least...not yet."

Everyone pauses. Bowser suddenly gets up from his seat and goes back to the hallway. A moment passes, until Bowser reappears, carrying a brief case.

"...What's in that?" Timpani asks, fear rising in her voice.

Bowser smirks. "A few presents."

He opens it up to show six purple wrapped gift boxes. He then goes around the room and passes a gift to all the guests.

"Open them," Bowser orders. "And I promise you will reconsider."

He takes a step back and all the guests look from him to their gifts. Ms. Mowz shrugs her shoulders.

"Why not? I love getting presents from strange men!"

She sits on top of the desk, to Dimentio's discomfort, and unwraps her gift. Tearing off the paper reveals a box. Opening the box, Ms. Mowz gives a puzzled look as she slowly lifts up a golden colored candlestick.

"A candlestick...what?"

She looks over at the others, who all have similar gifts. Luigi holds a led pipe, Nastasia a rope with a lasso, Mario a gun, Bobbery a wrench, and Timpani a knife. They all give blank looks to each other.

"All of you hold a lethal weapon," Bowser says. "And if you aim your wrath at the right person, we can all be on our way in less than two minutes."

Everyone turns their attention to Bowser, who has a smug look.

"This was all Dimentio's idea, wasn't it? And if his intentions were to reveal us all, he will surely keep us prisoners until we do as he says. So, he obviously has the keys to the front door. And we can all be out of here...if one of you kills him."

Dimentio's eyes widen.

All the guests stare at him, their bodies tensing. Bowser smiles and approaches the light switch.

"The only way to not find yourself on the front page is to kill Dimentio. Now."

He turns off the lights and shuts the door behind him.


	3. The First Blood Spilled

As the room turns pitch black, the sounds of footsteps can be heard. A gunshot goes off and someone screams. Quickly, someone goes over to the light switch and turns the lights on. That person is Timpani, dropping her knife from what she sees on the ground.

Bowser lays face down on the floor, a few red spots on the carpet near his head. Everyone gasps and they all approach Bowser.

"Stand back!" Bobbery exclaims. "Give him air!"

Petrified, everyone steps back. Bobbery examines Bowser's body. His eyes darken.

"He's dead…"

"Oh my God!"

Luigi points to Mario, his whole body shaking.

"Y-you killed him!" he cries. "I heard the gun go off and you had it!"

"I did, but someone grabbed my arm in the dark!" Mario shouts. "My figure slipped as a result and the gun went off!"

"Well, was it the gun that killed him?" Nastasia asks.

"I…don't know…" Bobbery double checks Bowser's head. "I can't tell, with his scales and hair. Though I don't see any clear gunshot wound…"

Timpani lets out a heavy sigh.

"Oh dear God, I need a drink!"

She walks over to a nearby coffee table and grabs a glass of champagne. Bobbery's eyes widen.

"Maybe he was poisoned!"

Timpani's eyes widen as she takes a drink. She drops the glass and starts to scream at the top of her lungs. Rushing towards her side to help her, Luigi guides her to the couch and tries to calm her down. But nothing he says seems to help, as Timpani starts to become hysterical. Luigi cringes at her shirking.

"Mrs. Timpani…please…"

Without any other option, Luigi slaps her across the face. Everyone gasps. Luigi turns to face everyone, his eyes meeting theirs.

"I…had to stop her from screaming…"

Timpani puts her hand to her cheek, fearful tears falling from her eyes.

"Well, panicking is not going to solve anything," Dimentio says.

Everyone turns their attention to him, as if just now remembering he was still in the room.

"It was completely dark, anything could have happened," Dimentio continues, his voice icy calm. "The gunshot could have easily missed him."

"But then _who_ killed him?" Bobbery demands. "And with what, if it wasn't the gun?"

"It could be anyone of us," Ms. Mowz says. "We all had the chance and the opportunity. And there is no proof who did it…"

There is a small silence, everyone giving each other suspicious looks.

"And thus, we have a mystery on our hands," Dimentio finally says, breaking the tensed silence. "And we must solve it before the police come, yes?"

"Wait, the police?!" Nastasia's eyes widen. "What do you mean by that?"

"I called the police to come here within the hour," Dimentio explains. "My plan was to reveal Bowser and arrest him from his crimes, to free us from his evil clutches."

"Wait, 'us?'"

Mario gives a blank look. Dimentio smiles.

"Did you all really think I wasn't part of this? I have had my own share of blackmail by that diabolical imbecile, Bowser. Only much more extreme than yours."

Timpani glares over at him.

"Then would you care to explain?" she says in a low voice.

Dimentio nods. "Yes, please follow me."

He then walks out of the study, and with no other option, the others follow, Timpani and Luigi staying in the back. They all go into the room between the study and the library, the billiard. There, Mimi sits on the pool table, a tape recorder right next to her. A dark look is in her eyes.

"I guess we have to tell them our secret, don't we?" Mimi asks.

Dimentio nods. "I'm afraid so, my dear."

"Wait, what's going on?" Nastasia questions, narrowing her eyes. "And what is that beside Mimi?"

"It is a tape recorder," Mimi answers. "I was recording the conversation back in the study for the police to arrest Bowser."

"But that would mean we would all get revealed too," Mario says.

"Yes, but would you rather continued to be blackmailed?" Dimentio counters, walking towards Mimi's side. "Your confessions would have proved Bowser's blackmailing and he would get arrested. Some of you would have faced charges, yes, but would you rather have that happen then being a slave to him, like us?"

"And what do you mean by that?" Ms. Mowz asks, raising an eyebrow.

"He's saying that we have been blackmailed by Bowser," Mimi says, an uncomfortable look in her eyes. "You see, my boyfriend, Dimentio and I have always lived poor lives. And at times, we became desperate enough to steal a little bit to survive, traveling across the Mushroom Kingdom. We were able to live off it, until one day Dimentio stole something…of extreme value."

"We were working for this very rich count at the time," Dimentio adds. "Mimi as a maid and me as his 'loyal' jester. They were very low paying jobs, but it was at least something for us to survive off of, plus a free roof over our heads. But to make matters worse, the count was very corrupted and abusive to his workers. So, to make a long story short…"

"To late," Bobbery mutters under his breath.

"The count started to abuse Mimi in a very… _suggestive_ way, and I couldn't take it," Dimentio sums up. "At the final snap, I, regrettably, took Mimi and ran away and with this special heir loom I stole. The count found out before we left town, and we would have been caught if not accidentally running into Bowser. He saved us, stopping the count from finding us by returning the heir loom, and would only not turn us in as long as we paid him for silence. Of course, we had no money and the only way to keep him silent was to work for him without pay. And to make another long story short…"

"Again, too late," Bobbery mumbles.

"Working for Bowser was far worse than working for the count," Dimentio finishes. "So I found out about all of you, and to save you from the fate Mimi and I had, I decided for all of us to come together and reveal Bowser for the true corrupt man he is."

His eyes darken.

"Only…I never expected murder to come out of this."

"Okay, so now that is all settled," Timpani says, now walking up to the front of the group. "So now we can all agree that we can work together to solve this mystery before the police come, correct?"

"Yes," Dimentio says, nodding his head. "And if all goes well, only one of you will go to jail."

"That's good, I guess," Mario says. "But the thing is…we _still_ don't know who did it!"

"Maybe it wasn't us who did it."

Everyone turns towards the back where Luigi stands. Luigi gives an uncomfortable look.

"I…well, maybe someone else tried to kill Bowser in the confusion from a distance. Someone who could have overheard the conversation, or hid in the study, and decided to kill him in the dark. Like the cook."

Dimentio and Mimi's eyes widen.

" _Dyliss_!"

They quickly get up and dashed out of the room, the others right behind them. They all run to the kitchen, only to find it completely empty and silent. Dimentio, Mimi, and the guests all look around, each feeling the uneasy tension. Luigi wonders to the large meat freezer. He glances in all directions.

"Well…where is she?"

At the moment he speaks, the doors to the freezer opens. Ms. Mowz screams, as the body of Dyliss with a knife in her back falls out. Luigi catches her fall, his face becoming pale.

"I didn't do it!" he automatically screams.

Dyliss's weight becomes too much for him and he drops her to the ground. Everyone gathers around the body. Mario's eyes widen.

"It is the knife that Timpani got in the study…"

Everyone quickly turn their attention to the countess, who is standing in the back. Her eyes flash.

" _What_ , you really think _I_ did this?!" Timpani exclaims offended. "I would never murder someone in my life!"

"Yet you were the one who had the knife last," Ms. Mowz says.

Timpani narrows her eyes.

"Yes, but I dropped it after turning on the lights, remember? Any one of you could have picked it up… Like Nastasia."

Nastasia blinks at the sound of her name.

Everyone immediately turns to her. Bobbery narrows his eyes.

"Yes, it has to be you! After all, you are suspected for a previous _murder_!"

"And what proof do you have?" Nastasia demands, slowly backing away. "I had the lasso and I was nowhere near enough to grab the knife!"

"And yet, you have been the most quiet, you witch."

" _What_ did you just call me?"

"A witch, for that's what you are."

Bobbery narrows his eyes.

"After Dimentio said your husband 'mysteriously' died, I remembered reading in the newspaper about a count getting murdered, who was rumored to have a wife with the power to make people bow down to her will. Kind of like hypnosis."

Nastasia's body completely tenses up, her glaring into Bobbery's eyes.

"And that…would have to be the _dumbest_ thing I've ever heard in my entire life!" Ms. Mowz exclaims with laughter. "Seriously, witchcraft? That's what we are dealing with now? Never in my life have I met such a superstitious man, and I've seen a lot of men!"

"Yes…you would have met a lot of different men, wouldn't you, Ms. Mowz?"

Ms. Mowz narrows her eyes at Bobbery's comment.

"And what is _that_ suppose to mean, admiral?" she questions, putting her arms on her hips.

"Well, you are not the most respectable of women," Bobbery explains coldly. "Given what kind of hotel you run…"

"Oh, is that it?"

A furious look appears on Ms. Mowz's face.

"Well, just for that comment, if I were the killer, I would kill you next!"

Everyone gasps. Bobbery narrows his eyes, as if challenging her. Ms. Mowz looks at everyone, giving an uncomfortable look.

"I said _if_!"

"If or not, you still said it!" Mario exclaims.

Everyone gives Ms. Mowz the death glare. Dimentio lets out a heavy sigh.

"We are not going to get anywhere if we all keep arguing," he says. "Come, pick up Dyliss and we will take her body back with Bowser in the study. After that, we can discuss our next move."

Nodding in agreement, Mario, Luigi, Bobbery, and Nastasia pick up Dyliss and carry her back to the study, Dimentio, Mimi, Timpani, and Ms. Mowz in the lead.


	4. Panic, Panic!

"Okay, steady, steady," Dimentio says as he guides the others carrying Dyliss's body. "We are almost to the study."

Mario groans.

"Remind me again we you are _not_ helping us carry her?"

Dimentio smiles.

"Because I need to guide you to the study. Besides, you four have it just fine without my help."

Bobbery, Luigi, and Nastasia grunt in reply, while Mario just glares. The others say nothing, only following Dimentio back to the study.

But once they arrive, Dimentio's eyes widen and Mimi gasps. Timpani and Ms. Mowz bump into them, causing the others who are carrying Dyliss to run into them. Mario and Luigi drop Dyliss, causing Bobbery and Nastasia to fall. Nastasia curses.

"What was that for?" she demands. "Why did you stop? Is there someone in the way?"

"…That's just it," Dimentio says, a tiny bit of fear in his voice. "There's _no_ one there!"

Bobbery blinks. "What do you mean, you weird jester?"

He and Nastasia get up and look past the others. Their eyes widen as well, for Bowser's body is gone. There is a long silence.

"…Well, looks like the admiral was wrong," Ms. Mowz says with a hint of humor. "Guess he wasn't dead after all. Or he became a zombie."

"'Zombie?!"

Luigi whimpers at that thought.

Bobbery makes his way to the front of the crowd; standing on the exact spot Bowser's body was at.

"I could have sworn he was dead!" the admiral cries. "He was as cold as any corpse! There was blood, and his body was limp!"

"Well, it's obvious that you were wrong," Timpani replies. "But where could he have gone?"

"And just standing here isn't going to get anything done," Nastasia mentions. "He could have been the one who killed the cook! We can't let him get away!"

"Nastasia is right," Dimentio says quickly. "We cannot waste any more time!"

With that, everyone except Bobbery leaves the study, with Dyliss's body left at the entrance, and begin to search the whole first floor. Timpani glances around, wondering where to go as everyone quickly spreads around. Noticing that no one is going towards the hallway that leads to the kitchen, she walks over there. After a long, deathly solemn walk down the hall, she sees that there is a bathroom and puts her ear against the door. She does not hear anything, and assumes that no one is inside. She then opens the door, and similar to how Luigi found Dyliss, Bowser falls out of the bathroom. Timpani screams, Bowser falling right on top of her.

"Help, someone help me!" Timpani shouts at the top of her lungs. "Bowser is trying to kill me!"

Immediately, Dimentio comes out of a nearby room and the others come to her rescue. Dimentio and Bobbery gets Bowser off of her and Nastasia and Mario guide Timpani to safety. Timpani leans on them, trying to keep herself from fainting. Luigi and Mimi shake in pure terror and Ms. Mowz watches the scene without any emotion.

"Oh my God, Bowser is dead, _again_!" Nastasia cries.

Dimentio studies Bowser's body, seeing that there is a new wound on his head with blood dripping over. He lifts up his arm, and it falls straight to the ground.

"Well…he is certainly dead now," Dimentio confirms.

He then gets up and looks inside the bathroom, seeing if there are any clues.

"But why would anyone try to kill him _twice_?" Mario asks disturbed.

"Because they knew that they failed the first time," Mimi answers. "Sometime between his first 'death' and now, he was killed a second time."

"But still, _why_ go through all the effort to kill him a second time?" Mario points out.

"That's what we are trying to find out!" Dimentio shouts now turning to the others. "We are trying to figure out who killed him, when, and with what!"

Mario blinks.

"There's no need to shout…"

" _I'm not shouting_!"

Dimentio blinks and everyone stares at him like he is crazy. He pauses for a bit.

"…Okay, perhaps I am..."

He smiles and laughs.

"I'm shouting, I'm shouting, I'm shout-"

At that moment, the golden candlestick falls from the top of the door and hits Dimentio on top of the head, knocking him out.

* * *

Once both Bowser and Dyliss's bodies are lying on the floor of the study, everyone gathers around, restraining themselves not to panic. Mimi sits on the couch next to Dimentio, trying to get him conscious after being hit in the head with a candlestick.

"What are we going to do?" Luigi asks, his voice going higher in pitch. "There is a psycho on the loose, and it could be anyone in this room!"

He starts hyperventilating a bit. Nastasia growls.

"Will you calm down? Panicking is just going to make things worse. And I've already got a headache."

"Well, unlike you," Bobbery comments coldly, "some of us like to show emotion to dramatic situations."

Nastasia narrows her eyes in reply. Ms. Mowz sighs.

"And accusing each other isn't going to work either," she says. "There has got to be a way for us to solve this peacefully and without panic."

"But with a killer among us, is that even possible?" Timpani questions.

There is a long silence.

"…But there is just one thing I don't understand," Mario suddenly mentions. "How could have one of us killed Dyliss and Bowser without the others knowing? We were all together the whole time and it would be clearly obvious if one of us left. And wouldn't have we heard them when the murderer killed them? The castle isn't _that_ big. It…just doesn't add up."

"So what are you trying to say?" Ms. Mowz asks puzzled.

"I'm saying that there has got to be more to this castle than what meets the eye."

Mario starts to pace as he speaks, his bright blue eyes deep in thought.

"If one of us is truly the killer, there's got to be secret passageways or _something_ for them to use, one that they know about beforehand. Otherwise, we would have caught them by now! And what if…they are not working alone?"

He turns to Dimentio and Mimi.

"Dimentio, am I right when I say that there's nobody else in this house?" Mario asks.

Dimentio groans. "…No."

Mario blinks, as if the answer didn't quite sink in.

"Then there is someone else in this house?"

"Sorry," Dimentio replies, "I said 'no' meaning 'yes.'"

"'No meaning yes?'"

Mario starts to look frustrated.

"Look, I want a straight answer," he says, trying his best to sound calm. "Is there someone else or not, yes or no?"

"No."

"No there is, or no there isn't?"

"Yes."

"Oh for the love of God!"

Bobbery stands up and everyone turns their gaze to him.

"I suggest that we solve this confusion in pure military fashion," the admiral says. "We split up and search the castle for clues."

"'Split up?!'"

Timpani stands straight up, her eyes flashing with horror.

"If we split up, one of us may get stuck with the killer and then they may get killed!" she exclaims.

"This is war, Timpani!" Bobbery comes to her side, a determine look in his old gaze. "There will be casualties for the greater good! Any cook can tell you that there will be mistakes before the dish is perfected!"

"But look what happened to the cook!"

Timpani sits back down in her chair, putting her face into her hands.

"I…actually agree with the admiral."

Everyone immediately turns to Mimi, who hasn't spoken a word since they first entered the study. Even Dimentio has his full attention on her.

"Think about it," Mimi explains. "If we split up into pairs, the killer would have to be an idiot to kill their partner. If they do, we know who it is and problem solved."

"But what if-"

"And if they are that stupid, we find out who the killer is before they can claim another victim," Mimi says cutting Timpani off. "It's just a chance we have to take."

Timpani looks like she wants to argue, but she keeps silent. For deep down she knows that Mimi is right.

Dimentio gives a small smile.

"I think it is a good idea. Given we have to work fast before the police get here."

At that moment, the doorbell rings. Everyone freezes, their eyes wide.

"Oh my God!" Luigi whispers, his voice cracking with absolute fear. "The police are here!"


	5. The Unexpected Guest

The doorbell rings a couple more times, showing that the person outside is growing more impatient. Luigi shutters a bit.

"Now the police are angry..."

"Oh, will you get a hold of yourself!" Ms. Mowz snaps. "You don't know if it is the police or not! It could be just some random guy."

"But what are we going to do?" Mario asks, trying to make his voice heard over the continuous doorbell. "It doesn't look like they are going to leave any time soon."

Bobbery nods. "Yes. And if it is the police, like Luigi says, they are not likely to leave."

The doorbell rings louder and Nastasia's right eye twitches.

"Can we at least answer the door so that the doorbell can stop ringing before I kill someone?"

Everyone's eyes widen at that comment. Dimentio then stands up and clears his throat.

"It looks like we are at a dead end, like a bunch of trapped mice," he says surprisingly calm. "I'll open the door so we may accept our fate."

"And what if it is the police?" Timpani questions. "They will arrest us all with these dead bodies!"

"At this point, I would rather be in prison then locked up with a murderer."

Dimentio and Timpani's eyes lock for a short moment. Without another word, Dimentio leaves the study and approaches the front door. Everyone quickly follows him, their eyes wide with suspense as the doorbell rings in their ears. Dimentio opens the door. There, what looks like a small boy wearing a huge red cloak and strange, swirly glasses. He has lime green skin, his body shaped like a bean, and a small lock of black hair.

The strange boy continues to ring the doorbell, seeming bored and irritated from standing in the rain. He is oblivious to Dimentio and the others, who are just staring at him.

"…Can I help you?" Dimentio asks.

The strange boy looks over at Dimentio, his finger still holding down the doorbell.

" _Finally_ you have answering the door!" the bean-boy exclaimed. "Fawful was having the wondering if you would _ever_ answer!"

"Um…"

Dimentio has no comment to make.

The boy, apparently named Fawful, glances over at everyone, who are staring at him like he just got out of a mental institution. Fawful blinks.

"What staring at?"

There is a short silence, except the continuous ringing doorbell.

"…Could so kindly take your finger off the doorbell," Dimentio finally says, "and tell me why you are here?"

Fawful blinks again and removes his finger from the doorbell.

"Yes!" he exclaims. "Fawful being here is because Fawful's car had the breaking on the side of the road. And though Fawful could have the fixing of it, he does not have the right tools of fixing. So, may Fawful have the usage of your phone?"

"…Wait, how _old_ are you?" Ms. Mowz asks. "You look like a kid. How can you be driving?"

"Oh, simple. Fawful _is_ a kid. _Genius_. Fawful needed to go to the somewhere, err, of importance. So, Fawful did the thing of most logic. Fawful stole his mistress's license of driving and car."

He pauses a bit.

"Though, Fawful hopes she will have less anger towards him after he explains…"

Everyone stares at him, but Fawful seems to ignore it.

"So can Fawful have the usage of phone?"

"…Sure. You can use the one in the…"

Dimentio pauses a bit.

"…in the lounge. Just walk in and it is the first room on your left."

Fawful gives a large smile, one so creepy it could compete with Dimentio's.

"Fawful has the pleasing!"

Everyone steps to the side and Fawful enters the castle. As he makes his way in, his eyes drift off towards Nastasia and Bobbery. Fawful stops in his tracks and stares at them.

"…Does Fawful have the knowing of you two?" he asks thoughtfully. "You two have the look of familiarity."

Nastasia's face pales dramatically and Bobbery avoids eye contact. Fawful continues to study them.

"Yes, Fawful has the seeing of two people of this likeness! Fawful-"

"Shouldn't you be making your call right now?" Dimentio interrupts, cutting him off.

Fawful looks up at him and then back at Nastasia and Bobbery.

"…Fawful guesses. He will see to it."

He then walks away and goes into the lounge. Dimentio quickly goes behind him, and once Fawful is inside, he closes the door, locking it with a key. Luigi's eyes widen.

"You're _locking_ him inside?"

"What else am I suppose to do?" Dimentio snaps. "He'll get suspicious if I throw him out in this weather!"

"But he will get even more suspicious locking him in the lounge!" Mario exclaims.

"You know, if I was him, I would be suspicious already!" Nastasia cries.

"Eh, what is this?"

Fawful tries to open the doors from the inside, now realizing it is locked.

" _Let me out, let me out_!" Fawful screams at the top of his lungs.

"Come on, let's get back to the study," Dimentio says. "The sooner we can find the killer, the sooner we can let Fawful out and be safe."

"Killer, _what_ killer!? Fawful demands the knowing!"

Dimentio smiles and gives a small chuckle.

"Now, let us go."

" _I have fury_!"

With Fawful banging on the door and shouting, the others start to ignore him and go back to the study. Even though some of them feel guilty about locking up a child.

Once they are all inside, Mimi goes around and picks up all the remaining weapons, the gun, candlestick, led pipe, lasso, and wrench.

"We need to lock them up so that the killer can't get to them easily," Mimi says as she puts them into the cabinet. "Dimentio, you have the key?"

Dimentio nods his head and when Mimi finished putting the weapons away, he locks it and is about to put the key away.

"Hey, what are you doing with the key?" Bobbery questions.

"Putting it in my pocket to keep it safe," Dimentio answers.

"But then you can open the cabinet whenever you want!" Ms. Mowz says.

"Yes…but where else am I going to put it?" Dimentio asks.

Ms. Mowz crosses her arms.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe throw it outside so that _none_ of us can use it."

Everyone, except Mimi, narrows their eyes at Dimentio. Dimentio gives an uneasy smile.

"All right. I will throw away the key and then go with Admiral Bobbery's idea of splitting up and searching the castle. Does everyone agree?"

"Yes!" all the guests reply.

With that said, Dimentio leaves the study and goes to the front door. Opening the door, he throws the key out into the dark night, the sound of it colliding with the concrete and then disappearing. With a large smile on his face, Dimentio closes the door and turns to the others.

"And now we start our search of the castle," Dimentio says. "I'll partner up with Mimi and you all can choose who you go with."

"Wait, why do you have to go with Mimi?" Timpani points out. "Why not have her go with any of us?"

Dimentio narrows his eyes.

"Because she is my girlfriend and I want her to be safe. And she is the safest with me. Do you have a problem with that, countess?"

Timpani raises an eyebrow.

"Why so defensive? All I'm saying is that the two of you know the castle the best and you have known each other the longest. You two trust each other and can play off each other very well."

Anger rises in Dimentio's mismatched eyes.

"Are you accusing Mimi and I to be the killers?"

Timpani's face shows no emotion.

"It is a possibility. The both of you seem to know more about what is going on than the rest of us. Between all of us, the two of you are the most untrustworthy. After all, _you_ brought us together, Dimentio."

"But I'm not a cold-blooded killer," Dimentio says, his voice rising. "Nor am I selfish enough to put someone I love in danger for my own gain. Unlike you and your usage of your husband's power, Timpani."

Timpani clutches her fists.

The two them glare at each for a long moment, tensions rising and it looks like either one of them could start a fight. The others back away, a bit fearful for what will happen next. Finally, Mimi lets out a heavy sigh and approaches Dimentio.

"If it makes Timpani and the other guests feel safer, then I will go with one of them," Mimi says gently. "I wouldn't blame them of being at least a little suspicious, since it is our fault for these murders."

Dimentio looks down at Mimi.

"Yes, but-"

"I will be _fine_ , Dimentio." Mimi gives him a warm smile. "I can take care of myself and make sure everything goes alright."

She gives him a reassuring kiss on the cheek. Dimentio growls a bit, blushing a bit underneath his mask.

"…Fine," he finally says. "So that everything is fair, we will draw straws for partners. No complaints or changes."

Dimentio goes back to the study and comes back with eight long matches. He heads to the kitchen and everyone follows him. In the kitchen, Dimentio takes a knife and cuts the matches' length, having two of each being the same. He mixes them up and turns back to the others.

"Everyone pick a match and find the one with the same length as yours," Dimentio explains. "The two shortest will search the cellar and dungeon, the next two shortest will search the first and second floors, the next the third and fourth floors, and the longest the fifth floor. When we are all done with our searches, we will all meet back in the entrance hall. Any questions?"

No one says anything reply.

They all one at a time approach Dimentio and take one match. In the end, the pairings are Mimi and Luigi searching the basement, Nastasia and Bobbery searching the first two floors, then Dimentio and Timpani searching the next two floors, and finally Ms. Mowz and Mario searching the final floor. Luigi gives a nervous look at Mimi, and she tries to give him a friendly smile. Nastasia and Bobbery glare at each other, as if they would rather be paired with anyone but each other. Timpani sighs heavily and Dimentio smirks at her reaction. Mario gives a mischievous smile and Ms. Mowz rolls her eyes in response.

Now knowing who their partners are, the group all silently went their separate pairs and began to search the dark castle.


	6. Hope, Loss, and Scares

"Have the opening of the door! Have the opening of the door!"

Fawful continues to shout through the door, hoping that someone will let him out. He bangs and shouts on the door a couple more times, but he eventually grows tired.

"...I...have...fury... _So_...much...fury..."

Panting heavily, Fawful leans on the door, trying to catch his breath.

It...is useless, he is _never_ getting out. He is completely locked in, and with nothing useful to try to make an escape. He is powerless, at the mercy of the people of this castle.

And of the killer.

Fawful then finds a couch to lay down on, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. He...does not know what to think. He is locked up in the lounge of a big castle, the owners all acting like jumpy idiots, and now there is a killer on the loose.

_And of course, they have the not knowing of who kills. Though it has the complete obviousness. The eye of lookness has the giving away._

Fawful's eyes widen.

If...these people are as stupid as he saw them as, then the chance of them figuring it out before all is lost is _very_ slim. And with himself all locked up with no way to defend himself...

_I am going to die._

There is no doubt about it. Fawful knows deep within him that he is doomed. And even with his grand intelligence, without the proper technology, he is completely powerless.

_But if Fawful is going to have the dying, Fawful is not having the going down without fight!_

Jumping up, Fawful moves towards a small coffee table where there is a pen and some sticky notes. Taking one of the sticky notes, he writes on the paper the killer's identity.

_Fawful hopes that at least these idiots have the ability of reading. For Fawful's note is their hope of only to get out alive._

Or...at least in Fawful's mind. Which is probably right. But then again...

Looking around the lounge, Fawful looks around for a place to put the sticky note. Smiling to himself, Fawful goes to the farthest wall from the door and puts the note there.

But then his smile quickly fades away.

There is always that chance that the owners would not see it, and then his whole attempt to avenge his soon-to-be-death would all be in vain.

Remembering that there is a phone in the room, Fawful quickly dashes towards it and dials a number. A moment passes.

_"...911, what's your emergency?"_ says the operator on the other line.

"Greetings," Fawful replies, keeping his voice down in case he is overheard. "Fawful has the reporting of a murder and requests a certain person's help..."

* * *

The castle is deathly quiet as a lone person sneaks their way towards the study. That person is the killer, who was fortunate enough lose their partner, which wasn't hard, considering that they and the rest of the group had to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time to find the murderer. Which is them, though from the look of things, the others are not even close to finding them out.

The killer, silently, goes into the study and closes the door behind them. Alone and safe, they go to the desk were Dimentio sat the envelope with all the evidence. Apparently, everyone has forgotten about it, which just makes the killer's job easier. With the fire crackling in the fireplace, the killer opens the envelope and looks through the evidence. Their eyes grow wide from what they see, shocked and disgusted to some of the things the guests have all done. They also learn some new things that Dimentio failed to mention, something of important detail.

The killer pauses in their movements for a moment, gathering their thoughts as they plan their next move. Putting all the evidence back into the envelope, the killer seals it up and swiftly moves over to the fireplace. Carefully, they throw it into the fire, making sure that the evidence all burns to a crisp.

Going back over to the desk, the desk drawer contains a spare set of castle keys. Smiling to themselves, the killer goes back to the cabinet that has all the weapons, and to their relief, unlocks it. The killer hides the spare keys underneath the cabinet and takes the wrench. They then rush towards one of the large paintings of the study, pushing it in slightly to reveal a secret passageway.

The killer moves inside, slowly going through the passageway. The passageway is a short tunnel connecting to a safe room and has many paths connecting to it. Using pure instinct, the killer takes one to the left and stealthy goes through it. It doesn't take the killer very long to reach the end of the tunnel, where there is a button to press. The killer presses it, and the wall opens to reveal a secret door.

Leading straight to the lounge.

The killer pops their head out, seeing Fawful is on the couch, apparently asleep. The killer slowly approaches the unaware boy, standing right in front of him, clutching tightly to the wrench.

* * *

"Okay, nothing in here," Bobbery states as he and Nastasia search the ballroom.

Nastasia lets out a heavy sigh, her eyes glancing around the room.

"Of course there isn't going to be anything in here," she says as if it is obvious. "There is nowhere to hide and this rooms makes a few echoes. If the killer was here, we would have known upon entering."

Bobbery glares up at her.

"Well, we have to search every room just in case," he explains coldly. "One wrong move could be fatal, especially since we are running out of time."

"And that's just it!" Nastasia exclaims. "We are wasting time searching in places that obviously no one can hide in! And the fact..."

She cuts herself off, a grim look appearing on her face. Bobbery raises an eyebrow.

"What fact? Do you know something?"

Nastasia lets out a heavy sigh. She looks at Bobbery straight in the eyes.

"The fact is, we all know that there really isn't anyone else in this castle. Even with some of us denying it, we all know deep down that one of _us_ is the killer. And the killer...is a _lot_ smarter than the rest of us."

Bobbery blinks, a thoughtful look in his old gaze.

"Do you have any idea who it could be then?" he asks solemnly.

"...With little to no evidence and not to mention that we were all close together the entire night," Nastasia explains, her eyes growing distant as she speaks, "it really could be _anyone_. Like, we all have a motive to kill Bowser, and perhaps the cook, since it is possible she could have known something. The only thing that doesn't add up is how they did it all without getting noticed. Unless..."

Nastasia's eyes grew wide.

"That...that's it!"

She walks towards the center of the room, looking as if something now just clicked in her head.

"Of course, that is the _only_ explanation! Why didn't I, we, think of that before?"

"What are you talking about?" Bobbery questions, his voice rising with fear and confusion. "Nastasia...?"

As if just now remembering Bobbery is there, Nastasia turns around to face him, her eyes bright with hope.

"The only way the killer could have killed the cook and killed Bowser a second time is for them to use a secret passageway!" she explains. "It is the only way they can move around without any of us seeing them! And with this castle, looking as old fashion as it does, wouldn't surprise me if there was a hidden secret or two."

Bobbery's eyes widen.

"...Your right! It makes perfect sense! It has to be true!"

He pauses.

"...But where would the secret passageway be at? How would the killer know about them?"

"There could be many possibilities how the killer found them," Nastasia says. "But if I was them, and let's say, didn't have any previous knowledge of the castle, my first guess would to see if there was a secret passageway in the one room that we all know the best."

"...The study!"

Nastasia smiles.

"That's right. Now, let's make our way there and see if my theory is correct, K?"

With that thought in mind, Bobbery and Nastasia quickly run out of the ballroom and make their way to the study. Once inside, they glance around the stiffly quiet room.

"Well...where would the passageway be?" Bobbery asks. "I don't see any good places for one to be."

"My guess would be in the walls," Nastasia replies. "We can start there."

They begin to search the walls, feeling every place for some kind of trigger or button. They weren't finding anything, until Bobbery comes to one of the paintings and accidentally pushes enough weight to open it up. He gasps.

"Nastasia, I found it!"

Nastasia quickly comes to his side. They both stare down the dark tunnel, their hearts pounding in their chests. At first, they feel excitement and hope, finding the killer's use of getting around. But, fear slowly creeps up their spines. For what if...the killer is in those tunnels now? What will happen...if they confront the killer face to face?

There is a long silence, both Nastasia and Bobbery staring at each other.

"...You want to go first?" Bobbery asks.

Nastasia shakes her head. Bobbery stares back down at the tunnel. There is another moment of silence, and slowly, a determine look appears in the old sailor's eyes.

"...What the hell! I'm tired of this mad chess game."

Bobbery steps foot into the passageway.

"Despite what I have done, I've lived a good life," he says. "And if this puppet master psycho takes my life, I'm taking them down with me!"

He turns to Nastasia. "Ready to go?"

Nastasia stares at Bobbery for a long moment. Slowly, a new form of respect appears in her dark eyes. Though, just a tiny bit, for she is still kind of mad at Bobbery calling her a 'witch' earlier.

_Seriously,_ who _does that?_

"...I am," Nastasia finally says. "And I'm getting anxious to having this night over."

Bobbery nods his head.

"I couldn't agree more."

Side by side, Nastasia and Bobbery go down the tunnel. They soon get to the safe room where all the other tunnels connect together. They pause a minute to think about where they should go. Randomly, Bobbery decides to go left. Silently, with their hearts pounding, they arrive at the end of the tunnel, looking like it ends. Bobbery narrows his eyes.

"Well...crap. It is a dead end!"

"Not exactly..."

Nastasia moves closer, examining the nearby wall. She soon sees a button in the rock, and press it. The wall opens, and Nastasia and Bobbery slowly go inside. They find themselves in the lounge. They study the room, nothing seeming too out of ordinary.

Until they glance towards the couch, where Fawful lays with his head cracked opened.

Bobbery's eyes widen in horror and Nastasia gasps.

"Oh my God..."

Suddenly, the secret door closes automatically behind them.

Nastasia screams, she and Bobbery quickly look for another way to open the passageway. But there is no other way, at least one that they can find in their panic state. With no other option, both Bobbery and Nastasia run to the locked door, pounding and screaming loudly for the others to hear.

* * *

"Find anything?" Timpani asks as Dimentio meets up with her at the stairs.

"I'm afraid not," Dimentio says with a shrug. "The right side of the hallway is completely deserted, like an abandon building in the middle of nowhere. Any luck on your end?"

Timpani shakes her head.

"Nothing. The place is so dark I can't see a thing! And did who ever build this castle have something against light switches?"

"You probably just couldn't find it," Dimentio answers. "Given to the fact that you are impatient and rarely stop to think."

Timpani's eyes flash with anger.

"Why you little..."

Dimentio smirks.

"Yes, yes, I know. I am irresistible to you."

"What? _That's not it_! I have a husband, you idiot!"

Dimentio laughs in reply and Timpani gets more furious.

Suddenly, the faint screams of Bobbery and Nastasia fill the air. Dimentio and Timpani's eyes widen. They then hear Mario and Ms. Mowz rushing down the stairs.

"We heard screaming," Mario says as he and Ms. Mowz rejoin Timpani and Dimentio.

"So did we," Dimentio replies.

Without further word, the four of them run down to the first floor. There, Mimi and Luigi are already down there.

"Nastasia and Bobbery are trapped in the lounge!" Mimi explains, her voice filled with fear.

Luigi is biting his finger nails.

"Oh God... What do we do, what do we do?" he mutters.

"Let us out, let us out!" Nastasia and Bobbery cry out from the other side.

"Dimentio, don't just stand there!" Ms. Mowz cries. "Unlock the door for them!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!"

Dimentio searches through his pockets for the key. His eyes suddenly grow wide.

"...Well, looks like I lost the key to the lounge," he says softly. "I have the keys to the front door, the cabinet, and everything else except that key..."

"Are you telling me that they are _stuck_ in there?!" Timpani demands.

"Relax, relax. I've got this...probably."

Dimentio calmly approaches the door, Bobbery and Nastasia still banging down on it. Dimentio turns the doorknob and tries to open the door, but it does not work. He turns to face the others, a smile upon his face.

"Well, I tried."

Mario's eyes twitch

"Did you really think that was going to work? I mean, _really_?"

Dimentio narrows his eyes.

"Hey, at least I'm didn't just pull the doorknob in a panic and shout, 'Let us in, let us in!'"

"Oh my God, I can't take it!"

At that moment, Luigi tries pulling the doorknob in midst panic.

"Let us in, let us in!" he shouts.

" _Let us out, let us out_!" Nastasia and Bobbery shout back.

Mario sighs.

"Okay, everyone, stand back!"

He backs up, standing a few feet from the door.

"I'm going to break down the door!"

Using all his energy and strength, Mario charges right into the door. There is a loud bang, and Mario's eyes grow wide with pain. He slowly backs away from the door, whimpering a bit. Dimentio face palms.

"And yet you criticized _my_ idea?"

"Hey, at least I was doing something useful!" Mario snaps back.

"Yes, because breaking down the door was _so_ going to help!" Ms. Mowz says.

Mario narrows his eyes.

"And do you have any brighter ideas, Ms. Mowz?"

Ms. Mowz opens her mouth to make a reply, but yet no words came out.

Suddenly, the sound of a gun going off echoes throughout the room. Luigi and Timpani scream and everyone takes cover. Mimi, with the gun her hands, is shooting. She fires three times, one accidentally hitting the rope holding a chandelier, and the other two on the lock.

"Oh my God, I've been shot!" Bobbery suddenly cries. " _I've been shot, I've been shot_!"

"You can come out now," Mimi says, lowering the gun. "The door is unlocked."

In the background, the rope holding the chandelier starts to rip. Bobbery and Nastasia open the doors. Bobbery, with a bullet wound on his side, approaches Mimi.

"What the hell do you think you are doing with that thing?!" Bobbery demands furiously.

"Trying to get you out, obviously!" Mimi exclaims.

"But I was shot because of you! I could have been _killed_!"

Mimi backs away as Bobbery closes in on her, having him right under the dangling chandelier.

"I can't take it anymore! If I get a close-to-death experience one more time, I just might die of a heart attack! I can't have any more scares!"

Bobbery moves a bit, and at that moment, the chandelier falls down right beside him. Everyone flinches and cries out at the crash, Bobbery's eyes widening.

"Oh my..."

He leans against the wall, trying to calm himself down.

"What were you guys doing in there?" Timpani asks Nastasia with narrow eyes. "I thought the door was locked."

"It was, but we discovered a secret passageway!" Nastasia explains, her voice cracking a bit. "We found it in the study, where it led to a safe room with even more tunnels! We followed one, and it led to the lounge..."

She slowly moves towards to the lounge door.

"And...Bobbery and I, together, discovered this..."

Everyone except Bobbery looks inside the lounge and sees Fawful's body, along with the wrench.

"How..."

Luigi turns around to face Mimi.

"H-how did you know that the cabinet with the weapons was unlocked?" he questions.

"I didn't!" Mimi explains. "I knew that there was a spare set of keys in the desk in the study, but I couldn't find it! In desperation to find something, I noticed that the cabinet with the weapons was cracked open and I just grabbed the gun at the moment, not questioning why the it was unlock."

Everyone gasps.

"Wait...if the cabinet is unlock and the spare keys are gone..."

Dimentio quickly dashes inside the study.

"...The evidence is gone!" he cries. "The killer got to the evidence!"

His eyes drift to the fireplace, where he sees the black ashes of what used to be the envelope. He sighs heavily and turns back to the others.

"The murderer has destroyed all evidence against you and Bowser," Dimentio reports. "And apparently stole the spare set of castle keys."

"Oh God, if the murderer has the spare keys," Luigi says in a low voice. "Does that mean that they could just unlock any door and escape?"

Dimentio gives a small nod.

Everyone's face pales.

"So by the time the police get here, the killer could have already be long gone and leaving us at police's mercy!" Mario exclaims.

"Don't panic," Dimentio says calmly. "We still have time and I doubt the killer had that much time to get very far. Just as long no one else comes to interfere, like a plot convenience tool in a murder mystery story, we all should be fine."

At that moment, the doorbell rings.


	7. All Hell Breaks Loose

There is a long silence as everyone glares at Dimentio for opening his big mouth. A few moments pass, and the doorbell has yet to ring again.

"...Maybe they'll just go away if we stay quiet," Ms. Mowz whispers.

As soon as she says that, the doorbell rings again. A few seconds pass.

"...Err, I can't take it anymore!" Luigi exclaims. "I'm going to answer it!"

"Why would you do that?!" Timpani cries. "It could be the police!"

"It could, and I will be glad if it is!"

"Why the hell would you be glad to see the police? There are three dead bodies!"

"And there is psycho too! Nor do I have anything to hide either, for _I didn't do it_!"

At that moment, Luigi runs to the front door, fast enough no one is able to catch him. He opens the door and finds a young pink bob-omb.

"Hi," she says. "My name is Bombette, a crime investigator from the local police. I was called telling me that a murder has taken place."

Luigi's face pales.

At that moment, he slams the door in Bombette's face.

"You imbecile!"

Dimentio pushes Luigi out of the way.

"Now you have done it! Everyone, close the doors to the study and lounge and pretend nothing is wrong!"

Without any other option, everyone quickly closes the doors and got into position. Dimentio, meanwhile, reopens the door to a _very_ angry Bombette. Dimentio smiles.

"I apologize for that," he says smoothly. "But Luigi here can be...a real idiot at times."

Bombette narrows her eyes.

"Yeah...so, I've been called by a person named Fawful that a murder has been committed here."

Dimentio's eye twitches.

"Oh, Fawful contacted you, did he?"

Bombette nods. "Yes. And who are you, uh... mardi gras jester guy?"

Dimentio's mouth twitches, giving an unsettling small laugh.

"I am Dimentio."

"...Nice to meet you, Dimentio. So, can you get Fawful for me so that I may talk to him?"

Dimentio smiles.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear. You see...Fawful left a few minutes ago, probably on the way home from a long night of partying."

Bombette narrows her eyes.

"That's an interesting story...seeing that his car is on the side of the road."

"Another guest took him home."

"That's very unlikely."

Bombette tries to take a look inside the castle but Dimentio blocks her view. As for the other guests, they all watch in pure suspense and fear.

"Say...do you mind if I take a look around for a minute?" Bombette asks. "After all, I was called here for murder."

"Uh..."

Dimentio takes awhile to respond. Slowly, a large grin appears on his face.

"...Of course you can. Here, let me lead you in."

Dimentio steps to the side a bit and Bombette walks in. Her eyes grow wide as she sees the broken chandelier.

"What happened to the chandelier?" Bombette asks.

"Oh, the rope that was holding it got...old and it broke," Dimentio explains. "Almost killed us. We are all still very shaken by it."

"Uh-huh."

Bombette studies the chandelier as she and Dimentio walk pass it. She makes eye contact with all of the guests, who are all staring at her, and then turns back to Dimentio.

"So, can you tell me what's been happening? Who's been murdered?"

Dimentio gives an uneasy laugh.

"Ah ha, yes, about that... Did it ever accrued to you that you might have been prank called? After all, if there was a murder going on, would we all be here having a party?"

"A lot of murders happen in fancy parties like this," Bombette counters. "This castle being in the middle of nowhere is the perfect place to commit a horrific crime."

"Yes, yes. It would be..."

Dimentio leads Bombette to the library. She steps inside, studying it in great detail. Dimentio slowly backs away, and with taking a hold of the doors, closes them behind him. Bombette turns around tries to escape, but Dimentio locks her in just in time. He turns back to the guests, who are all staring at him with wide eyes.

"Why did you lock her in the library?" Bobbery demands. "Now she will get even more suspicious!"

"She is already suspicious, you dimwit!" Ms. Mowz snaps.

"But she could have solved this whole mystery!" Luigi cries, his voice cracking.

"Or get in the way," Dimentio says darkly. "Having an investigator around could bring disaster. All she really does is give the killer another person to kill."

"But if she stays locked in there, she may get killed like Fawful did!" Mario points out. "Look, she's here and she knows a murder has accrued. We might as well make her one of us."

"Mario has a point," Nastasia adds. "We would all be safer with an investigator at our side. And perhaps she can figure it out quicker before the police arrive."

"But the police have already arrived!" Timpani exclaims.

Nastasia narrows her eyes.

"I mean before more of them show up. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I am tired of all this and would do anything to end it."

There is a long moment of silence.

"...Look, we haven't finished searching the castle yet," Mimi says reasonably. "There could still be someone else lurking around. Or we could find evidence to link the killer. After all, we still need that."

There is a little disagreement, mostly from Nastasia, Bobbery, and Mario, but eventually, everyone agrees. They did need to find evidence who the killer is.

And so far, they have none.

They all get back into their original pairs and went back to searching the castle.

* * *

"Damn it!" Bombette curses as she tries to open the door.

She bangs on it, kicks it, tries to pick the lock with a nearby pen. But nothing works, she is completely locked in.

"Damn it!" Bombette cries again.

She sits in a nearby chair, her heart pounding in her chest.

This...this is not what Fawful planned for her to do, not what the police told her to do! She is just supposed to stall till the police get there, get some evidence from the killer Fawful described, and then everything would turn out right! But that did not happen, and now Bombette is stuck in the same situation Fawful was in.

_Fawful..._

Bombette feels great grief for him, and for the other victims who had tragically lost their life this night. A part of her wonders how long it will be till she is next. For if Fawful was killed, why not her? Would the killer murder her for the same reasons they murdered Fawful? Or is there no reason at all, and all of these deaths were just made by random chance?

But no matter which way she tries to make of the situation, Bombette feels more panic-stricken and fearful.

Seeing a half full bottle of champagne, Bombette rushes towards it and starts drinking straight from the bottle. Once she finishes drinking the whole thing, she feels a little woozy and light-headed.

Then suddenly, all power from the castle is cut off and the castle turns pitch black. At that moment, she hears two people running in the hall. Bombette's eyes widen, quickly getting out of her chair and runs to the door. However, she feels weak, her mind a little foggy. She faintly hears a woman screaming, possibly choking. Bombette gasps, backing away from the door.

A few seconds pass, Bombette feeling her heart beats growing faster and faster. With a faint click of the lock, the door opens and the killer steps in. Bombette tries to escape the killer, but they are too quick and they take a hold of her. Bombette tries to fight back, but in her weak drunken state, she can't. Once the murderer gets Bombette held down, her face shoved into the floor, the killer hits her multiple times in the head with the led pipe, eventually killing her. Seeing that she is dead, the killer drops the led pipe.

_Ding-dong!_

The doorbell ringing causes a stiff silence throughout the castle. The killer rushes to the study and takes the gun. They answer the door to see a woman with purple skin and long pink hair. The woman smiles.

" _I_

_"am_

_"your singing telegram_!" she states in song.

The killer narrows their eyes.

They shoot her straight in the chest, causing a loud bang. Rashly, and knowing that they have little time left, the killer slams the door close and hides the gun on them, quickly going back inside the castle.

* * *

_Bang!_

Mario completely freezes in place as the sound of the gun goes off. He stands completely still, the darkness filling him with fear.

"Ms. Mowz?" Mario calls out softly. "Ms. Mowz, are you there?"

No answer.

Mario feels his heart beat growing faster.

"Ms. Mowz? Ms. Mowz?"

He tries to make his way down to the stairs, hoping that somewhere along the way he will run into his partner.

"Ms. Mowz?! Ms. Mowz?!"

"Mario?"

At the stairs, Mario and Ms. Mowz finally meet up. Mario lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God you are alright. When I heard that gunshot, I was afraid something bad had happened."

"So you heard it too?" Ms. Mowz quickly asks.

Mario nods.

"Yes, and it sounds like it came from downstairs."

The two of them head down the stairs, going as quick as they can in the dark. Then, suddenly, the lights in the entire castle turn back on. Knowing someone had turned the power back on, Mario and Ms. Mowz quickly run down the first floor. Everyone else is already there, Dimentio coming out of the cellar.

"Someone turned off the generator," Dimentio explains. "That's why the power went off."

"But why would anyone turn off the power?" Bobbery asks puzzled.

"So the killer could have a better advantage, perhaps?" Nastasia suggests.

"That sounds most likely," Timpani agrees.

"Uh...guys..."

Mario points his shaken hand towards the library.

"...The door is open..."

Blinking, everyone turns their attention to the library. They all go inside, in which they see Bombette's body.

"...I knew we shouldn't have left her alone," Mario says in a low voice. "And now another life has been taken..."

Luigi slowly enters the room and picks up the led pipe. He stares at it for a moment, his eyes growing a bit distant, and then turns to the others.

"But she was killed with the pipe," Luigi points out. "I thought I heard the gun go off again and a door slamming."

"Wait, didn't Mimi have the gun last?" Timpani questions.

Everyone looks around, now noticing that Mimi is not among them.

Dimentio's eyes widen.

He frantically goes back into the cellar, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mimi. The others slowly leave the library. In the corner of her eye, Nastasia sees that the study's door is wide open.

"Didn't we close that door as well?" she asks.

There is a long silence.

With no one else wanting to step forward, Ms. Mowz slowly takes a look inside. A grim expression appears on her face.

"...Someone get Dimentio."

She then turns to the front door. Opening it, she reveals the singing telegram girl. Mario's face pales.

Again, there is a long silence. At that moment, Dimentio comes back up, he too seeing the dead telegram girl.

"Has anyone yet to see-"

Dimentio cuts himself off as Ms. Mowz gestures towards the study. Trying to keep his expression calm, Dimentio walks over to the study. His eyes widen to what he sees, his body shaking.

"...Excuse me for a moment."

His voice cracks as he closes the door behind him.

The other guests patiently wait, feeling a great sense of loss. Suddenly, Bobbery's eyes flared with rage.

"Well, whoever this killer is, I hope they are satisfied!" he shouts. "Taking the lives of six people, that is horrifying! They...they..."

His voice cracks as he tries to think of a threat.

Timpani nervously starts to rub her arm while Luigi rubs his head like he has a headache. Ms. Mowz leans against the wall, her eyes completely emotionless as Mario walks over to the telegram girl, picking her body up and placing her with Fawful's body. Nastasia starts to pace a bit while Bobbery tries to keep himself from exploding.

Finally, Dimentio comes back out, cradling the limp body of Mimi, who looked like she was strangled to death.

"Let's put the bodies in the lounge," Dimentio says, his voice completely flat. "It is time we end this once and for all."

At that moment, everyone takes Bombette, Bowser, and Dyliss's bodies over to the lounge. They, as gently as they could, set each one down, trying to be a little respectful as they place them. Dimentio is the last to put down Mimi, great emotion in his eyes.

Once everyone is back in the hall, Dimentio closes the door to the lounge clears his throat.

"All right...we have exactly ten minutes before the police arrive," he says. "In that time, we need to figure out who the murderer is so that we all can get out of here and move on with our damn lives. Now, while I was..."

His voice cracks a bit as he keeps himself from crying.

"... _grieving_ , I put all the pieces together how these murders were committed and I think I figured out who did it."

Everyone gasps, their eyes glowing with hope.

"But if my theory is correct," Dimentio continues. "I need to guide you all as to what _exactly_ happened tonight. With a deep analysis, I believe we can find the answers and the evidence we have been desperately looking for all this time."

He gives a large smile.

"So, shall we begin?"


	8. What Happened in a Nutshell

"So, to start off the night," Dimentio says as he gestures towards the front door. "I walked into the castle after running a few errands. Once I came home, I immediately went to see Mimi, who was in the library."

He then goes into the library and the others follow them. Once they are all inside, Dimentio holds the empty bottle of champagne.

"Mimi was in here, preparing to serve champagne when you all arrived. Once I saw that everything was prepared, I went over to see Dyliss in the kitchen."

Again, Dimentio quickly moves past everyone and goes to the kitchen. With a heavy sigh, the others follow him.

"And so Dyliss was over here," Dimentio explains, pretending he is chopping up beef, "preparing for dinner. I asked her when dinner was going to be ready and she pointed a knife at me…"

He pauses.

"…Yeah, she was damn scary. Anyway, at this point, the doorbell rings."

He walks out of the kitchen. Bobbery growls.

"Are we going to have walk over to every single room as he explains?"

"Looks like it," Timpani says with a sigh. "But are you really surprised?"

"…No, not really."

They then meet Dimentio back at the front door.

"This was when Admiral Bobbery arrived, the very first guest," Dimentio explains. "I gave my greeting and Bobbery was shocked how I knew his name. I told him I just did and said for him to wait in the library."

He walks over to the library's entrance.

"This was the point where Bobbery asked me why he was here, since he had no idea why. I cut him off and told him everything will be explained later. And before he could question me further, the doorbell rings."

Dimentio moves back to the front door.

"Next Nastasia came in, looking all pale and tragic, like a widow at the loss of her husband!"

Nastasia glares at him at that comment.

"Anyway, she comes in and I tell her to wait in the library," Dimentio continues. "And then Luigi arrives and to make a long story short…"

"Too late," Mario mutters under his breath.

"One by one, you all arrived."

"So, then that's when the blackmail came in, right?" Timpani asks.

"No, no! That came after dinner," Nastasia corrects. "Right after Bowser showed up."

"And even before that you all discovered that you all live in the same area and had no idea why you were here," Dimentio points out.

"Yeah, _at_ dinner!" Ms. Mowz exclaims.

At that moment, everyone quickly rushes to the dining room. Dimentio places himself on the other side of the table to face everyone.

"Like what Nastasia and I said, while dinner was being prepared you all learned that you all have some kind of connection. Like Bobbery knowing Count Blumiere, Timpani's husband, Luigi and Mario working at the counts' houses, Nastasia being the widow of a count, etc, etc… That's when Bowser showed up and the blackmail was revealed."

"In the study," Luigi says.

Dimentio nods his head.

"Right. So in the study…"

Everyone quickly runs for the study.

"...I revealed that everyone was being blackmailed," Dimentio says, picking up where he left off. "Everyone was horrified and then Bowser is revealed to be the blackmailer. You all get pissed off at him and then he brings in the weapons to bribe you all into killing me."

"You know, thinking about it, it would have made things a lot easier if it was Dimentio killed instead of Bowser," Bobbery states.

Everyone nods in agreement and Dimentio narrows his eyes.

"You don't know that… Anyways, Bowser turns off the lights and that's when the first 'murder' takes place."

He walks over to Mario.

"Mario, you said that someone grabbed you in the dark, correct?"

Mario nods. "Yes, though they had a very loose grip."

"Yes, but who was your gun originally aimed at before then?"

Mario's face pales a bit.

"Uh…well, everything happened so fast I was kind of in shocked. I…I…"

Everyone has their eyes on Mario as he stutters. Dimentio gives a crooked smile.

"Yes…well, to make another long story short…"

"Too late," Timpani mumbles.

"You all panicked and none of us could prove who the murderer was and the police could be coming at any moment," Dimentio finishes. "Now, once I calmed you all down…"

"Oh, like you _weren't_ at least a tiny bit scared," Nastasia whispers, crossing her arms.

"We then all went to the billiard where Mimi was."

They all moved to the billiard.

"But while Mimi and I were telling our story, one of us wasn't here," Dimentio says, a dark look in his eyes. "Because between the time we were discussing the blackmail and now, well, _then_ , Dyliss was killed."

"But wait, why kill the cook?" Timpani asks thoughtfully. "I mean, what did she have to do with anything?"

"And dinner wasn't _that_ bad," Ms. Mowz adds.

Dimentio sighs.

"That's because, like all of us, everyone involved here had a connection to Bowser and his blackmail. Only she wasn't a victim. Dyliss, I learned from working with him, was one of Bowser's accompanists, someone who got the blackmail for him."

Everyone gasps.

"So…does that mean Fawful and Bombette were all in this too?" Luigi asks.

Dimentio rolls his eyes.

"Yes, Luigi, they were involved. Honestly, is it that hard to figure out?"

"But… _how_ were they involved?" Nastasia questions.

"I will get to that when they become relevant," Dimentio replies. "I can't just skip around in a story! So, after the story is shared and the killer is back among us, Luigi suggested that maybe someone else could have killed Bowser. Automatically, we all think of the cook."

Immediately, everyone goes to the kitchen again. But when they get there, Dimentio is nowhere in sight. Luigi wonders to the large meat freezer and glances in all directions.

"Well…where is he?"

At the moment he speaks, the doors to the freezer opens. Ms. Mowz screams, as Dimentio falls out, pretending to be dead. Luigi catches him, waits a few seconds, and then lets him go.

"By the time we remembered her, she was long dead," Dimentio says, laying on the floor. "But the murderer needed to get back to the group before they were discovered. But that's not the only thing...for Dyliss tried to escape using the secret passageway, thus revealing them to the killer! So, the killer hides Dyliss's body here in the meat freezer and then goes back to the study, following the passageway."

All the guests run back to the study, Dimentio going to through the secret passageway. Dimentio meets up with them in the study, where he is holding the candlestick.

"Now when the murderer returned," he says, "either they knew Bowser wasn't dead and came by to finish the job, or just got lucky and found him trying to escape."

"But why did Bowser pretend to be dead in the first place?" Bobbery asks. "None of this would have happened if he hadn't played dead!"

"Maybe, maybe not," Dimentio answers. "The reason he played dead was because he figured out that bullet was meant to kill him, not me. Someone wanted _him_ dead, and would do _anything_ to make sure he was dead! It was the only thing he could do, since he had no idea who was after him."

He narrows his eyes.

"Though, it should not have been that hard to tell if he was dead or not, admiral. You made a _real_ mistake saying he was dead the first time."

Bobbery's face pales.

"I...I just made a mistake, I was in panic! I'm not a doctor!"

"Yes, but even without medical experience, you can still tell if someone is dead or not," Timpani points out.

"I...I..."

Bobbery lowers his head.

"Well, back to the story," Dimentio continues. "The point is that the killer caught Bowser, and Bowser tried to get away, using the secret passageway. The killer grabbed the nearest weapon to them, which was this candlestick, and chased him through the secret passageway."

He pauses for a moment.

"...Luigi, can I borrow you for a demonstration?"

Luigi blinks. "Uh..."

"Good!"

Dimentio takes a hold of Luigi by the arm and pushes him towards the secret passageway.

"Now, just run through the passageway, specifically to the kitchen," Dimentio orders. "And I will chase you with the candlestick like a manic!"

"Wait...what!?"

Luigi backs away a bit. Dimentio turns to the others.

"Meet us by that bathroom Timpani found Bowser earlier."

He then starts to chase Luigi through the passageway.

Sighing, the guests all head to where that bathroom was in the hall. A few minutes later, Luigi comes running in with Dimentio chasing after him. Luigi, panicking, goes into the bathroom. But before he can close the door, Dimentio grabs it and corners him in the bathroom, hitting him gently with the candlestick. Luigi growls, falling into toilet and Dimentio turns to the others.

"That was how Bowser was killed, only a little more violent of course," he explains. "He was already in shock from the first attempt. He was in no mental condition to fight, so he fled into the bathroom, hoping to escape. Only he didn't count on the killer actually tracking him. Thus, he was killed in the enclosed bathroom."

"...Did you really need to demonstrate that?" Luigi asks as he tries to get up.

Dimentio smiles.

"Yes. It was quite fun, wasn't it?"

"' _Fun_?'"

Dimentio ignores Luigi's stare and walks over to the middle of the entrance hall.

"Soon after that, was when Fawful came, and like what I said about Dyliss, he was connected to Bowser. But not just only Bowser...but Nastasia and Bobbery too!"

Everyone gasps and Bobbery and Nastasia avoid eye contact.

"You see, before Fawful came to work for Bowser," Dimentio explains. "He had done some work on some illegal nuclear weaponry for the navy, some of it Bobbery was in charge of. And same thing for Nastasia's deceased husband, for he worked for an underground terrorist group that was against the government and they needed weaponry."

"And just _how_ do you know this," Nastasia demands. "Even I did not know about my husband's treason until I had killed him! How could you, who we never even knew personally, know about this!"

Dimentio smiles.

"Can you keep a secret, my dear?"

Nastasia narrows her eyes.

"...Yes. "

"Well so can I."

Nastasia clutches her fists and Dimentio's smile grows.

"Anyways," the jester continues, "after all that, Bowser hired Fawful for his genius to work on illegal nuclear weaponry, along with other illegal acts. And just like Bowser, I invited Fawful to come here so he could get arrested, for I had evidence against him." His eyes darken. "However, with all the killings, I wanted to keep Fawful locked up to make sure he did not try to escape."

"Wait, so if you knew Fawful," Mario says, sounding a bit confused. "Then why did you pretend you did not know him?"

"Ah, very good question," Dimentio answers. "I told him to pretend he did not know me, or anyone else he recognized, so that he would be less on guard when the police came. I told him it would be a game, sort of speak."

Mario blinks.

"That...still doesn't really make sense..."

Dimentio narrows his eyes.

"Well, that's the story I'm going with. Now, when Fawful is locked up, we all go with Bobbery's idea of splitting up into pairs. That way, we could search the castle in case someone else was here _and_ keep an eye on each other at the same time."

Dimentio looks at everyone in the eye.

"But...how many of us actually _stayed_ without partner the whole time? We had a lot of ground to cover, so a little splitting up wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Everyone, except for Nastasia and Bobbery, have guiltily looks.

"So, because the killer and their partner separated on purpose," Nastasia says thoughtfully. "The killer would have had an easier time getting around."

"And had the perfect opportunity to kill Fawful," Dimentio replies. "That is what _exactly_ happened."

"And then Nastasia and Bobbery find Fawful," Ms. Mowz says. "Then we all got into a panic and Mimi found out about the evidence being destroyed, the unlocked cabinet, and missing spare keys."

"So whoever has the spare keys must be the murderer!" Mario exclaims.

"Not quite."

Dimentio goes into the study and puts his hand underneath the cabinet, taking out the spare keys. He shows them to the others.

"The murderer knew that they couldn't have the keys on them, so they hid it in a place only they would know about in case they needed them again," Dimentio explains. "And the killer couldn't just escape, even with the keys to all of the doors. Because the moment they leave the castle, we would know who it was. With the keys on them or not, they were still trapped as we were."

"This killer really seemed to know what they were doing," Timpani comments. "It almost seems like they had it planned out."

Dimentio smiles and chuckles softly.

"That, or they are a lot smarter than they seem to be. Like playing the 'damsel in distress' to keep everyone's suspicions off them."

They glare at each for a short moment.

"But before we really knew what happened," Dimentio finally continues. "Bombette shows up."

"So what is her connection to Bowser?" Ms. Mowz asks. "What would he want with a crime investigator?"

Dimentio rolls his eyes.

"From the way she presented herself, it would have been obvious that she was faking it. Bombette isn't a crime investigator, but a criminal herself. True, she wasn't a horrible person, but she was in desperate need of money and work like Mimi and I were. And so, she found herself with Bowser, and worked as an accompanist like Dyliss did."

"So did you invited her to get arrested too?" Timpani questions coldly.

Dimentio shakes his head.

"No. She was, in many ways, just like Mimi and I. And I left her alone because of that. She must have only came because _Fawful_ wanted her to come."

"'Fawful?'"

Luigi gives a blank look.

"Yes, Fawful," Dimentio answers. "They had a bit of a friendship when they both worked for Bowser. Bombette wasn't hard to get along with, and I think Fawful took a real liking to her. Fawful must have known he was going to die, so he called her to say goodbye. But then Bombette wanted to save him, and well..."

There is a short silence.

"And so, after I locked up Bombette, we all split up again."

Dimentio walks over to the cellar, where the generator is with a switch.

"The pairs split up again. The murderer sneaked away again and turned off all the power in the castle!"

He then flips the switch and everything turns pitch black.


	9. The Fatal Flaw

" _Ahhhhhhhhhh_!"

"Not again..."

"Dimentio!"

"Oh my God!"

"Why the hell did you turn off the lights?"

"I can't see!"

In a split second, the lights turn back on. Everyone gives the death glare at Dimentio, who just gives an uncomfortable laugh.

"Sorry. But we needed to get into the moment, you know?"

"By scaring us half to death?!" Timpani cries out enraged.

Dimentio rolls his eyes as everyone continues to glare at him.

"Honestly, you people freak out _way_ too easily. Anyway, back on subject, when the killer turned off the lights, Mimi must have seen the killer and tried to catch them."

His eyes darken with overwhelming grief.

"Unfortunately...she failed and was strangled to death by the lasso."

Dimentio pauses a bit, taking in a few deep breaths of air.

"...After Mimi is...gone," he continues, though it sounds like it is hurting him. "That is when the killer murders Bombette. And then immediately, that other girl comes by."

"Who was that girl anyway?" Nastasia asks. "Was she part of this too, like Fawful and Bombette, or was she just here at the wrong time?"

"No, I had invited her to come," Dimentio answers. "Her name was Vivian, another accompanist for Bowser. One that Mario knows quite well..."

Everyone turns their gaze on Mario, who's eyes are on the ground.

"I...can't describe the amount of guilt I feel right now," Mario whispers softly. "I admit, I did have an affair with her, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her! Or the fact that she..."

He starts to cry a bit. Ms. Mowz comforts him, patting his back gently.

"Don't worry, Mario," Dimentio says. "Vivian's death will not be in vain. For I have a few tricks up my sleeve left to capture the killer."

Everyone stares at Dimentio, a blank look in their eyes. Dimentio smiles.

"Excuse me for a second."

He then goes into the lounge, and as quickly as he left, he returns with a sticky note in his hand. Everyone gasps as Dimentio lifts the sticky note high enough for all of them to see.

"I had a feeling Fawful would figure out who the murderer is," Dimentio explains. "And if his accusation is the same as mine, then I know for a fact who the killer is."

He reads the note to himself. Everyone waits in pure suspense, their hearts pounding in their chests. Dimentio gives a small smile.

"And apparently, he and I had the same guess who it was."

He turns his attention to the others.

"However, just with Fawful's note and my superstitions being the same can't put up enough evidence against the killer."

He pauses in his speech.

"Though I give the murderer credit for being well organized and careful in their actions, they made _one_ fatal mistake that will unmask them. The gun is missing, and after shooting Vivian, which was loud enough for all of us to hear, they did not have enough time to hide it. Thus, the gun is still in their possession."

Everyone backs away from each other, suspicion rising in their eyes. Dimentio walks over to Luigi.

"Luigi, do you mind as to take off your hat for me?"

Luigi blinks, his face paling.

"W-what kind of request is _that_?" he demands, his voice shaking. "Why would you care if my hat is on or not?"

"Because you are the murderer, of course," Dimentio replies calmly. "After all, you are Luigi's dreaded split personality. The one who has been making those 'accidents' appear at his job. And now causing that same terror here tonight."

Everyone gasps, staring wide eye at 'Luigi.'

'Luigi' stares at Dimentio for a long moment. Slowly, a large bloodthirsty grin appears underneath his mustache, his bright blue eyes dimming with darkness and evil. 'Luigi' gives a small chuckle.

"Took you long enough for you people to see my little act," he says. "Even my lighter half couldn't even figure it out, despite the blood being on _his_ hands! That I, Mr. L, has been controlling him almost this entire night!"

Mr. L then backs away from everyone, taking out the gun from underneath his hat. Everyone cries out, backing up towards Dimentio. Mr. L smiles at their fear.

"Honestly, out of all the victims I've had, you guys are probably the most fun," Mr. L says with a twisted smile. "The fear you had and the panic that happened after each death! It was truly a blast!"

He gives a small sigh.

"Shame that it is all going to end like this. But, I suppose all good things must come-"

He stops in mid sentence.

Suddenly, Mr. L screams at the top of his lungs, dropping the gun and clutching onto his head.

" _Arghaaaaaaaaaa_ _! Why is my head in so much pain_?!"

He fell to his knees, crying out as he tries to take a hold of himself. Dimentio and the others stare at him, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, Mr. L's eyes became brighter.

"...S-stop him!" Luigi exclaims, his voice returning to its lighter tone. "Stop him before he kills anyone else!"

_"Shut up, you coward!"_

Mr. L is desperately trying to take back control, but Luigi is using all his willpower to hold him back.

"...Guys, I'm so sorry for what I've done!" Luigi says in a great amount of pain. "I had truly no idea it was me the whole time... I hope-"

_"Will you be quiet!"_ Mr. L screams. _"If you stop me now, you are going to jail for the rest of your life, or even worse! If you let me kill these witnesses, I promise you will be able to move on with your life!"_

"T-that's not true!" Luigi replies, clutching onto his head tighter. "You will still be in my head, you will still be able to get free and cause this madness to happen all over again!"

Tears fall down Luigi's face.

"...Even though it means I will spend the rest of my life in prison, at least you won't be able to kill any more people!"

Luigi looks up at Dimentio.

"...End it now. Please, end my life so this can all end..."

_"_ _No_ _!"_

Mr. L tries to stand up, but Luigi continues to hold him back.

_"No, you can't do this!"_

"I can and I will!" Luigi replies.

_"I won't let you kill me!"_

"I won't let you kill more people and ruin my life!"

_"But I was getting rid of the horrible people in the world! Do you really think all those people you helped with your plumbing skills really appreciated you?"_

"That doesn't give you the right to murderer them in cold blood!"

_"Shut up!"_

"No, you shut up!"

Luigi clutches his head tighter and tighter as he argues with himself. Dimentio and the other guests stare at him for a long moment. Slowly, Dimentio picks up the gun. He aims it right at Luigi's head.

"If that's is your wish, Luigi," Dimentio says emotionless. "Then I will end it."

He starts to pull the trigger.

"What are you doing?!"

Mario restrains Dimentio's arm before he could pull the trigger. He takes the gun right out of Dimentio's hand and glares at him.

"Don't you think there has been enough deaths tonight?" Mario demands. "Luigi didn't do it on purpose, and he is showing remorse. I think he deserves some mercy."

Dimentio says nothing in reply. Mario then gives the gun to Nastasia as he goes to Luigi's side.

"It is going to be alright, Luigi," Mario says soothingly. "We are going to get out of here alive and I promise you will get the help you need. You are going to be okay."

Luigi looks up with Mario with wide eyes, tears falling from them.

Suddenly, the front door is burst open and the police all run inside. The chief of police approaches the group.

"Dimentio?"

Dimentio points to Luigi.

"It's him. Though he has a split personality disorder," he explains. "Take him to a mental hospital as soon as you can."

"Yes sir!"

Saying the order to his men, the chief officer had the other cops help take Luigi away, along with searching the rest of the castle and taking care of the other bodies. The chief officer turns back to Dimentio.

"Is there anything else to report?" he asks.

Dimentio sighs.

"There is _so_ much to report. You have _no_ idea what kind of night we all had. Just tell the boss that I will explain everything in the morning."

The chief officer nods in reply and walks off to help his men. Dimentio turns back to the others, who are staring at him in shock. He gives a small smile.

"I suppose I have some explaining to do. You see, Mimi and I...we are actually undercover criminal investigators. We work together to take down criminal overlords from the inside out, using our own home to lure them out and capture them. Though some of our methods are called 'extreme' by most people, we still get the job done. Bowser was our current assignment, and probably our toughest."

He sighs.

"And as you can see, our attempt to arresting him turned out to be a failure, and instead we ended up with six bodies and taking down a man with a derange split personality disorder. But...at least now this madness can end."

He then takes the gun from Nastasia and turns his back on them.

"Even though some of you deserve to go to jail," Dimentio says softly. "I won't mention your crimes in my report. Only that you were unfairly blackmailed for financial difficulties. Consider this as an act of mercy from me."

He makes eye contact with them for a split second.

"You are all free to go. Hopefully this experience will teach you to not stray away from the law anymore. Otherwise, I won't be so nice the next time we meet."

With that said, Dimentio walks over to the other cops to help with the situation.

Seeing they are free to go, Mario, Nastasia, Bobbery, Ms. Mowz, and Timpani all silently leave the castle, knowing that deep in their hearts that they will never forget this night.


	10. Bonus Chapter: What Could Have Happened

"Dimentio!"

"Not again..."

" _Ahhhhhhhhhh_!"

"I can't see!"

"Oh my God!"

"Why the hell did you turn off the lights?"

Just as quick as the lights came off, they come back on in a flash. Everyone glares at Dimentio as there is a large grin on his face.

"That...honestly never gets old," he says, amusement in his voice. "You all sounded like a group of school children who were being terrorized by an imaginary monster..."

He gives a small laugh and everyone glares at him.

"Anyway, when the killer turned off the lights, Mimi must have seen the killer and tried to catch them."

His eyes darken with overwhelming grief.

"Unfortunately...she failed and was strangled to death by the lasso."

Dimentio is silent for a long moment, as he tries to get in control over his emotions. Eventually, a large smile appears on his face as he makes his way to the library.

"...After Mimi is... _taken care of_ ," he continues, though he can't help his voice from cracking. "That is when the killer murders Bombette. And then immediately, that other girl comes by."

"Who was that girl anyway?" Nastasia asks. "Was she part of this too, like Fawful and Bombette, or was she just here at the wrong time?"

"No, I had invited her to come," Dimentio answers. "Her name was Vivian, another accompanist for Bowser. One that Mario knows quite well..."

Everyone turns their gaze on Mario, who's eyes are on the ground.

"I...can't describe the amount of guilt I feel right now," Mario whispers softly. "I admit, I did have an affair with her, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her! Or the fact that she..."

He starts to cry a bit. Ms. Mowz comforts him, patting his back gently.

"Pull yourself together, Mario," Dimentio says, sounding surprisingly cold. "There is no point in crying about it. For I am about to reveal who the killer is. Or Fawful is..."

Everyone blinks, a blank look on their faces. Dimentio gives a crooked smile and then goes into the lounge. He soon returns with a sticky note in his hand. Everyone gasps as Dimentio lifts the sticky note high enough for all of them to see.

"Being a child genius, I had no doubt that Fawful would figure out who the murderer is," he explains. "But let's see if he is right before his tragic demise..."

Dimentio reads the sticky note to himself. He smiles.

"...And he is right. Or at least partly right."

He returns his attention back to the others, who are giving him confused looks.

"But with just with Fawful's note can't put up enough evidence against the killer."

He pauses in his speech.

"However, they made _one_ fatal mistake that will unmask them. The gun is missing, and after shooting Vivian, which was loud enough for all of us to hear, they did not enough time to hide it. Thus, the gun is still in their possession."

Everyone stiffens in fear, their eyes going wildly in all directions.

Slowly, Dimentio puts his hand underneath his poncho, which revealed the lost gun. Everyone gasps. Dimentio smirks.

"That's right, my friends," he says malevolently. "I was the dreaded murderer all this time...which I thought would have been obvious, but one cannot question the public's intelligence."

"B-but how could have it been _you_ all this time?!" Bobbery demands, stuttering. "You were with us almost the whole time! Out of all of us, you were watched the most!"

"That's because I wasn't alone," Dimentio explains. "I had a partner, I had an ally."

Timpani eyes widen.

"You had Mimi."

Dimentio smiles.

"You are correct, my dear. It was Mimi and I, together, who committed the murders. While one was being focused on, the other worked behind the scenes to take you all down one by one. It was a perfect plan, to perform the perfect 'crime.'"

"And yet you killed her!" Mario exclaims.

Dimentio eyes flared.

He points the gun at Mario's head, his hand trembling with rage.

"I would rather die a thousand deaths then see Mimi lying as a cold corpse!" Dimentio snaps. "For how could I kill the only person who ever showed kindness to me, who would take in a monster before he died in the cold of winter? The only person...who actually showed me what love felt like."

His voice cracks as he tries to hold back sobs.

Luigi, who seems to be the only one who isn't petrified with fear, takes a small step towards Dimentio.

"What are you talking about, Dimentio?" he asks surprisingly calm. "What's this talk about letting in a monster?"

Dimentio blinks, as if surprised by Luigi's question. He takes in a deep breath of air.

"If you must know, there is more to Mimi and I than what we told you. Yes, we lived under the roof of a corrupted count, but only one of us worked for him. Mimi was one of his maids, in fact his _favorite_ maid. He abused her to degrees unimaginable to any decent person. But she lived with the abuse, because she was in desperate need of money and had no where else to go."

He pauses for a second, making it seem like it is hard for him.

"Before I met Mimi, all my life society had treated me like trash because I was different. I was always one step ahead of everyone I knew, I could figure things out faster and more efficiently than anyone else. I had two eye colors, and had a deformed face from the moment I was born, hence the mask."

Dimentio points to the edge of his mask, his breathing quickening as he spoke.

"Because of that, everyone, including my own family, hated me and treated me like some kind of demon. Once I was old enough, I ran away from home, having at least some hope that there was _some_ decency in humanity somewhere else."

He sighs.

"Of course, I was wrong. My hatred for people grew and grew as I met more evil, corrupted people from many places here in the Mushroom Kingdom and even beyond. In some towns, I was considered a criminal just because of my deformed looks or over-the-top intelligence. I would have snapped earlier, because of this never ending prejudice, if not for Mimi."

His voice grows soft.

"Mimi found me just outside the servant corridors of the urban castle she worked at, freezing to death on a cold winter's night and on the verge of giving up on life. Pitying me, she sneaked me through this secret room in the servant corridors, and throughout the entire night, nursed me back to health. She had even saw my face, but yet she continued to help me. Her actions touched me, and my cold heart started to melt like a piece of ice meeting sunlight.

"For two weeks, Mimi kept me hidden in the castle, giving me food and water, and even medicine. She said I could stay until I was fit enough to leave, even stay for the rest of the winter if I had to. With her kind actions towards me, it did not take long before I fell madly in love with her, for I had never had this kind of treatment before. And when I confessed my love to her, she returned those feelings for me too. Never in my life have I ever been so happy, or glad to have another human being at my side."

His eyes grew dark.

"But not shortly after we confessed to each other, I overheard from one of the other servants talking about the count abusing Mimi. I was enraged, and vowed to save her. So I took from the count something of extreme value. I took his life."

All the guests gasp in horror.

"Of course when Mimi found out what I had done," Dimentio continues, "she was shocked, and became even a bit fearful of me. I told her that I did it for her and that I would never harm her! It took her some convincing, but I believe a part of her always knew I was telling the truth. We then ran away together before the police found out, and when we got far enough, I came up with a plan. A plan to get rid of the corrupt and evil people from the world once and for all! And that plan...was what you just went through tonight."

"To set up blackmail and then kill your victims when they run out of money?" Nastasia questions.

Dimentio shakes his head.

"No. To infiltrate into the trust of a criminal overlord and then kill him and his associates. It just so happened to be a blackmailer, which made my job easier. For not only do I get to kill him and his followers, but his corrupt victims as well! A perfect match up, if I do say so myself."

"And Mimi agreed to this?" Ms. Mowz asks.

"Again, it took some persuasion," Dimentio answers, "with fail attempt after fail attempt of trying find work again. And with the thought of preventing people to go through the same things she endured with the count, she was just as much into it as I was. And that's when our scheme was put into action."

Dimentio readies the gun.

"But now she is dead, and she was killed _by one of you_! And now I will make you, and the rest of you, pay for your corrupted, unforgivable ways!"

He gives off a mad laugh, looking at everyone each in the eye. The guests all take a step back, desperately afraid for their lives. However, Luigi remains where he is, his whole body shaking.

"Dimentio, put the gun down," he says gently. "You're only going to make things worse for yourself."

"Why should I listen to you?!" Dimentio demands furiously. "My girlfriend is dead and I want her murderer to pay!"

"Yet you were the one who lead her to her death," Luigi replies. " _You_ were the one who planned all this. You are just as guilty for her death as I am."

"W-what?!"

Dimentio's eyes widen.

"I caught her turning off the power and tried to capture her, knowing she was the killer. But unfortunately, it got to a point either it was her life or mine," Luigi explains. "I am sorry for your loss, but killing me is not going to bring her back. You lost her because of your own rage and anger. And you have no one to blame but yourself."

Dimentio's whole body starts to shake, like Luigi's words are stabbing him.

"Shut up!" he cries in a high pitched voice. "You will pay for what you have done! All of you! I will have my revenge, I will have made all _suffer_ in the darkest reaches of hell! I-"

Suddenly, a bullet goes right through Dimentio's head.

Luigi flinches back and everyone screams as Dimentio's eyes roll to the back of his head. He falls to the ground, dead. At the front door, the police swarm in. A few of them rush to Dimentio's body, while others search the castle or take care of the other bodies in the lounge. The guests all stand where they are, completely shocked at what just happened. Soon, the chief officer approaches them.

"Are you all alright?" he asks concerned. "We came as quickly as we could when the boy named Fawful told us about the situation."

None of the guests say anything in reply. The chief officer gives them a sympathetic look.

"You all have been through a lot tonight, it would seem. I will have one of my officers contact you at a later time about this, for I have little doubt this will be on the front page on tomorrow's paper. Do you all need a ride or do you have your own cars?"

There is a short silence.

"...We will be fine," Mario finally says. "We will be fine now that this is all over."

The chief officer smiles.

"That's good to hear. You all may go now."

With a sweet sense of relief, Luigi, Mario, Timpani, Nastasia, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz all leave the crime scene. Each one of them take one last glance at Dimentio's body before they left, a million things going through their mind as they think of what could have happened if the police didn't arrive at that moment. But now, the madness is behind them, they have nothing to worry about anymore.

They are safe.


	11. Bonus Chapter: But this Could Have Also Happened

"Oh my God!"

" _Ahhhhhhhhhh_!"

"I can't see!"

"Not again..."

"Why the hell did you turn off the lights?"

"Dimentio!"

Just as quick as the lights flashed off, they come back on. Everyone glares at Dimentio and he just smiles.

"Sorry to cause a panic," he says.

"You are a bit late for that!" Bobbery exclaims.

Dimentio glances at his direction for a split second.

"Anyway," he continues, "when the killer turned off the lights, Mimi must have seen the killer and tried to catch them."

His eyes darken with overwhelming grief.

"Unfortunately...she failed and was strangled to death by the lasso."

The guests give sympathetic looks. Dimentio takes a deep breath of air and moves over to the library.

"...After Mimi is...you know," he continues. "That is when the killer murders Bombette. And then immediately, that other girl comes by."

"Who was that girl anyway?" Nastasia asks. "Was she part of this too, like Fawful and Bombette, or was she just here at the wrong time?"

"No, I had invited her to come," Dimentio answers. "Her name was Vivian, another accompanist for Bowser. One that Mario knows quite well..."

Everyone turns their gaze on Mario, who's eyes are on the ground.

"I...can't describe the amount of guilt I feel right now," Mario whispers softly. "I admit, I did have an affair with her, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her! Or the fact that she..."

He starts to cry a bit. Ms. Mowz comforts him by patting his back gently.

"Do not fret, Mario," Dimentio says, a tiny bit of sympathy in his voice, "for I am about to reveal who the killer is! Along with Fawful."

"'Fawful?'"

Everyone gives a puzzled look.

Dimentio smiles and then goes into the lounge. He soon returns with a sticky note in his hand. Everyone gasps as Dimentio lifts the sticky note high enough for all of them to see.

"Knowing Fawful," Dimentio says, "he had figured out who the killer was the moment we told him there was a murder."

"Wait a second, how did you know that Fawful knew?" Timpani questions.

Dimentio narrows his eyes at her.

"I had guessed that he might have figured it out, being a child genius, but I didn't know about the sticky note until five seconds ago. I went back to the lounge to see if he had left anything behind."

His voice goes into a dangerously low tone.

"And apparently, he and I had the same guess who it was."

He turns his attention to the others.

"However, just with Fawful's note and my superstitions being the same can't put up enough evidence against the killer."

He pauses in his speech.

"Though I give the murderer credit for being well organized and careful in their actions, they made _one_ fatal mistake that will unmask them. The gun is missing, and after shooting Vivian, which was loud enough for all of us to hear, they did not enough time to hide it. Thus, the gun is still in their possession."

Everyone's eyes widened. Dimentio slowly put his gaze on Timpani.

"My dear countess, would you be so kind as to open your purse?"

Timpani stiffens.

Everyone backs away from her, waiting anxiously for her to act. Dimentio keeps his mismatched eyes on her, anger and grief burning within them. Timpani is silent for a long moment. Eventually she gives a soft sigh.

"...You really don't know when to shut your big mouth, do you, jester?"

Opening her purse, Timpani takes out the gun and aims it right at Dimentio. Everyone gasps.

"Y-you!" Luigi cries out. "H-how can a woman like you...?"

Timpani gives off a small chuckle, her sky blue eyes glowing.

"I've always had a talent for acting," she explains sweetly. "As a wife of a politician, I needed to learn how to keep my act up and how to conceal myself behind a mask."

She turns her gaze to Dimentio.

"A mask similar to yours, Dimentio. So calm and emotionless."

"But how did you do it?" Bobbery demands, his voice shaking with shock. " _Why_ did you do it?"

Timpani smiles.

"The answer is simple. I needed to keep my 'corruption' a secret. If my actions were to be made public, my dear Blumiere would be put to shame. I couldn't afford that to happen."

She keeps her eyes on Dimentio, as if afraid he is going to do something.

"So when I got the invitation, I had my suspicions that it had something to do with the blackmail. Knowing that this was my only chance to get rid of my blackmailer, I prepared myself to strike him down. I even brought my own weapon."

With her free hand, she reveals a small knife from her purse, which makes the others' eyes grow wide.

"But it seemed that I didn't need to use it," Timpani continues, "for Bowser foolishly brought his own weapons. And when the lights went off, I took the opportunity to shoot him with Mario's gun."

She lets out a small sigh.

"But aiming in the dark is so hard to do, and I'm not a professional killer. I had a feeling I had failed, so I turned the lights back on and pretended to be the innocent, pure, delicate wife who couldn't take violence."

She gives off a dramatic sigh, putting her free hand to her forehead like she is about to faint. Timpani rolls her eyes and gives a disgusted growl at that demonstration.

"Let me tell you that was a hard act to put off," she says. "In fact, I wasn't even able to pull it through the entire night, as you people are quick to get on one's nerves. Specifically _you_ , jester!"

Dimentio smiles and Timpani moves closer with the gun.

"Though I admit, I didn't think I would have to kill so many people," Timpani says, her voice showing a some remorse. "Do I regret killing the others? Yes, I do. But do their lives mean more to me then mine and my husband's career and reputation? Not likely."

"But if you didn't want to kill them, why didn't you just leave them alone?" Nastasia questions, her eyes glowing with disgust.

"Because it was necessary," Timpani answers simply. "Like Dimentio said, Bombette, Fawful, Dyliss, and Vivian were the people who _gave_ Bowser the blackmail! If they told him, why not someone else? I cannot take that chance."

"So you brought yourself to their level of lowness," Dimentio says. "By making yourself a criminal."

"It was murder, but not a crime," Timpani replies, her voice rising. "That pathetic man endangered my husband and I! We would have went from the good life to on the streets! Our lives would have been ruined, Blumiere would have been devastated!"

She looks at everyone in the eye.

"He had done the same to all of you. You all wanted him dead just as badly as I did. All I wanted to do was protect my husband from my mistakes. How...how can you tell me that I was wrong?"

She pauses.

"...But no matter what I do now, I will get caught. For I can't take care of you all in this short amount of time."

Timpani points her gun at Dimentio's heart.

"But at least I can take you along with me, Dimentio. For because of you, _my husband's future is ruined_!"

Dimentio met Timpani's gaze.

"You did this to yourself, my dear," he says, his voice as cold as ice. "And you have no one else to blame but yourself. For because of you, I lost the only person I ever gave a damn about and I _will_ see to it that justice is given for her!"

A large grin appears on his face.

"Besides, you cannot kill me. The gun is out of bullets."

Timpani blinks.

"What? The gun holds six bullets and only five of them have been used!"

Dimentio chuckles.

"Oh no. All six of them have been used."

Timpani stares at Dimentio like he is crazy.

"No, only five have been used! One in the study, three when Bobbery and Nastasia were locked in the lounge, and then the last when I killed the telegram girl!"

"I'm afraid you have missed counted."

Dimentio lifts up a finger as he counts.

"One was fired in the study. Four for the lounge door, plus the destruction of the chandelier. And one to kill Vivian. That, my dear, makes a total of six."

Timpani narrows her eyes.

"You idiot, that's one plus _four_ plus one! It was one plus _three_ plus one, which equals five!"

"You are misguided. It was one plus three plus two."

"Where the hell did the two come from? You originally said it was one plus four plus one! Now it is one plus three plus two?"

"I never said that."

"Yes you did!"

"No I didn't. I can do simple math."

"Not from where I'm standing, since we are arguing about this."

"We're having an argument? Kind of a bad time to be arguing, isn't it?"

Timpani looks like she wants to strangle him.

"You know what, _shut up_!" Timpani suddenly yells. "I'm tired of you and your smartass attitude! I will say without a doubt that you are the only person that I won't regret killing!"

But before she can pull the trigger, the front door is suddenly burst open. The police swarm the entire castle, their guns all out and ready to fire. Timpani's eyes widen in shock, dropping her gun.

"Countess Timpani, you are under arrest for first degree murder!" a police officer exclaims.

They then handcuff her before she can do anything else. Timpani turns to Dimentio, rage burning in her eyes. Dimentio smiles.

"I told you will get the justice you deserve."

He picks up the fallen gun.

"And to prove you wrong that it is three plus one plus two..."

He fires the gun straight in the air, causing a loud bang as the last bullet hits the ceiling. Dimentio's eyes widen, all the cops and guests staring at him. He looks back down at the gun.

"...So it _was_ one plus three plus one, now one plus three plus one plus one?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"Guess you proved me wrong, my dear. Congratulations."

"Why you little...!"

Timpani tries to get to Dimentio but the police hold her back. Once she is calmed down, two cops take her away while the others search the castle and take care of the bodies. Soon, all remain are Dimentio and the guests. Dimentio smiles at them.

"Well, it was nice getting to know you all this evening," he says in a sing-song tone of voice. "Hope you all have learned the error of your ways and that the rest of your lives are murder free!"

He begins to make his way to the front door.

"Hey...where are you going?" Ms. Mowz asks.

Dimentio glances back at them.

"To start a new life, of course. With Bowser dead, along with my beloved, I need to put this place behind me, like a criminal trying to become a new person in a foreign country."

"But won't the police want to question you, along with the rest of us?" Luigi asks. "Or have you around for Timpani's trial?"

Dimentio smiles.

"Why would they need me when they got the five of you? I don't think I will be missed too much."

He gives a small bow.

"Ciao!"

With that, he leaves through the front door and disappears. Mario, Luigi, Nastasia, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz stare at the door, knowing that this is a night that none of them will ever forget.


End file.
